Ninewa Governor denies existence of armed groups behind sit-in demos.

NINEWA / IraqiNews.com: North Iraq’s Ninewa Governor has denied the existence of armed groups behind the sit-in demonstrations that took place in his Province, charging that such claims represented the viewpoint of Iraq ’s Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki.   “The statement by Ninewa Operations Commander, claiming the existence of armed organizations behind the sit-in gatherings and demonstrations that took place in Mosul recently, are incorrect,” Governor Athel al-Nujeify told IraqiNews.com news agency.   He said that the statement by Ninewa Operations Commander, Hussein Karim Khudheir, “had not been correct, when he issued such statements and accusations; and had he been right, he should have arrested the armed persons he charmed with having supported the demonstrations.”   “Such accusations don’t reflect Khidhier’s personal viewpoint, but they represent the viewpoint and accusations of Iraq ’s Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki,” Nujeify said, expressing rejection of any interference by the security commands in the political affairs of Ninewa Province .   The sit-in demonstrations have entered their 18 th day on Tuesday, beginning since April 9 th , before the decision of Ninewa Operations Command on Monday to close central Mosul’s al-Ahrar (Liberals) Square, preventing demonstrators to continue their sit-in gathering in the square last Monday.   Ninewa Operations Commander, General Hassan Karim Khudheir, had charged political parties, he did not name, with having been behind the demonstrations, along with the Naqshabandiya Movement, al-Awda Party and al-Qaeda Organization, as well as some administrative officials.   Mosul , the center of Ninewa Province , is 405 km to the north of Baghdad .   SKH (RT)     725