Iraq: New Alliance Takes Shape Against Maliki-Sadr Bloc

[k98nights]

Iraq: New Alliance Takes Shape Against Maliki-Sadr Bloc

Robert Dreyfuss October 12, 2010

One week after Iraq’s Prime Minister Maliki announced an alliance with Muqtada al-Sadr, the fiercely anti-American cleric who leads the Mahdi Army militia, a new coalition is taking shape to undermine the Maliki-Sadr bloc. The new alliance may have the backing of Turkey, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, and the tacit support of the United States.

The new alliance comes as the United States is expressing something close to panic about the idea of Sadr having an important role in the next Iraqi government.

In a meeting on Tuesday, the Iraqiya bloc, the Sunni-secular party led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, held a tumultuous meeting at which Iraqiya decided to throw its support behind a rival candidate for prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, according to an Iraqi source who took part in the Iraqiya deliberations. More than seven months after the March 7 election, Abdul Mahdi and Allawi hope to establish a coalition to govern Iraq, toppling Maliki, isolating Sadr, and bringing the Kurds into their alignment. Allawi and Abdul Mahdi will travel to the Iraq’s Kurdish region to meet with Masoud Barzani, the Kurdish leader and most important power broker for the Kurds, to get his support.

In the March 7 vote, Allawi’s Iraqiya won a plurality, securing 91 seats in the 325-member parliament. Maliki’s party won 89. But a fractious Shiite alliance and the Kurds hold the balance of power. The Iraqi National Alliance, the Shiite bloc, seems to be falling apart at the seams, with one component—Sadr’s 40 votes—joining with Maliki and the rest, including the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), which includes Abdul Mahdi, now seeming to have cast its lot with Allawi’s movement.

Syria is playing a critical outside role. Earlier this month, President Assad of Syria consulted with Allawi, privately, in Damascus, and asked Allawi if he could accept a second term for Maliki. According to Iraqi sources, Allawi told Assad no. Assad then traveled to Tehran, Iran, which has great influence with many of Iraq’s Shiite players, to see if Tehran would accommodate Allawi, but Iran—which strongly opposes Allawi, in part because of his base among Iraqi Sunnis—flatly refused. Simultaneously, Sadr—who lives in Iran, and who has become increasingly dependent on Iran for support—announced his alliance with Maliki. Assad, discouraged, returned to Damascus empty-handed, and he now seems to have thrown his support to the anti-Maliki bloc. Yesterday, Assad visited Turkey, which favors Iraq’s Sunni parties, and the two neighbors of Iraq declared their intent to work together to solve Iraq’s post-election crisis.

The alliance between Assad and Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey is getting widespread coverage in the Middle East, as both leaders say that they intend to mediate in the Iraqi political crisis. Said Erdogan: “Turkey is in close cooperation with the groups in Iraq and their leaders as it was a country sharing agony and happiness with Iraq. We will try to help if they ask us to. The failure in the establishment of a new government in Iraq and continuation of uncertainties make not only Iraqi people but also surrounding countries uneasy.”

http://www.thenation.com/blog/155337/iraq-new-alliance-takes-shape-against-maliki-sadr-bloc

[Freedom Biz]

Iraq: New Alliance Takes Shape Against Maliki-Sadr Bloc

Robert Dreyfuss October 12, 2010

One week after Iraq’s Prime Minister Maliki announced an alliance with Muqtada al-Sadr, the fiercely anti-American cleric who leads the Mahdi Army militia, a new coalition is taking shape to undermine the Maliki-Sadr bloc. The new alliance may have the backing of Turkey, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, and the tacit support of the United States.

The new alliance comes as the United States is expressing something close to panic about the idea of Sadr having an important role in the next Iraqi government...

http://www.thenation.com/blog/155337/iraq-new-alliance-takes-shape-against-maliki-sadr-bloc

Thanks k98nights. I guess it helps that this article is in English, but this sure sounds like good news to me. Honestly, the threat of al-Sadar having any influence on the GOI is frightening for the future of Iraq, and the stability of the world. Think long-term, people. This goes way beyond how quickly we'll get the return on our investment. If Allawi and Mahdi can pull this off, IMHO, it would be good for the people of Iraq in terms of their security and freedom, it would boost investor confidence in Iraq, and would begin to settle down the whole region if it has the acceptance of neighboring countries. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[cgbrown]

The new alliance comes as the United States is expressing something close to panic about the idea of Sadr having an important role in the next Iraqi government.

They must have us right where they want us....... now as the cat plays with the mouse.......we are being tossed around....... until Iraq is done with us...... and then whammmmmie.