Largest Sunni bloc withdraws from government

Baghdad: The weight of sectarian tensions caused Iraq's unity coalition to crash on Wednesday as a wave of car bombings around the nation's torn capital killed at least 70 people.

In one attack, 50 people were killed and 60 wounded when a suicide attacker exploded a fuel truck near a gas station in western Baghdad. Another 17 died in a separate car bomb attack in central Baghdad. And in a mostly Christian section of the capital, a parked car bombing killed three people.

"The Front announces its withdrawal from the government of Nouri Al Maliki and the deputy prime minister and the ministers will submit their resignation today," said Rafie Al Issawi, minister of state for foreign affairs.

Sunni Vice-President Tareq Al Hashemi will keep his job and the bloc's 44 parliamentarians will return to the National Assembly in September after its summer recess, when they will swell the growing ranks of the opposition.

Negotiations on Iraq's new constitution, adopted in a referendum in October 2005, were notoriously difficult, with US officials and others expending much effort on convincing minority Sunni Arabs to take part in the poll and the national elections in December 2005 that brought Shi'ites to power.

The Front has accused the government of failing to rein in Shiite militias and of the arbitrary arrest and detention of Sunnis, but leaders seemed to leave the door open for future discussions.

The Front has also complained that Maliki has marginalised its ministers, refusing even to talk to Deputy President Tareq Al Hashimi, who is not stepping down at this stage.

"Our central and historic goal is reform. We will reconsider the withdrawal tomorrow if they review our demands," Al Hashemi said.