Mr. Maliki met with a delegation of the Jubour, one of the main tribes in Salahuddin, over the weekend.

WSJ: Iraq Crisis Grows With New Threat

Chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed said there would be changes to the squad for the later games in the series.

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And not surprisingly the hard line was voiced not by Abdul Majid Dar in the Valley but by Salahuddin in Islamabad.

CNN: From Our Correspondent: Peace Deferred

One senior BNP leader, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury is already in jail.

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How far (if at all) there is now a rift between Salahuddin and the Pakistan-based leadership and Dar and his commanders on the ground is difficult to gauge.

CNN: From Our Correspondent: Peace Deferred

It seems reasonable to assume Salahuddin's new-found toughness was prompted.

CNN: From Our Correspondent: Peace Deferred

Mr. Hashemi had backed efforts by the leaderships of two provinces, Salahuddin and Diyala, to set up semiautonomous regions, a process authorized by Iraq's constitution and exemplified by the relative peace and prosperity of the Kurdish region.

WSJ: Iraq Crisis Grows With New Threat