Al-Maliki Copes with Demands for Autonomy, New Elections

[Doctor Smith]

Al-Maliki Copes with Demands for Autonomy, New Elections

With the US out, the situation in Iraq has quickly deteriorated, threatening the country's unity.

By Aryeh ben Hayim

First Publish: 12/28/2011, 1:15 AM

Nouri al-Maliki

Wikipedia As soon as the US totally withdrew its forces from Iraq claiming victory, the country faced growing chaos. Not only did the bombings resume with a vengeance, but the government and the entire country appear on the verge of unraveling.

A de facto Kurdish autonomy already exists and now the Sunni provinces of Iraq are clamoring for and claiming semi-autonomy status for themselves.

Some key members of the cabinet, including Finance Minister Rafie al-Issawi, are boycotting the cabinet for its refusal to grant the autonomy requests. Al-Issawi told the Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki "Respect your partners or you will be swept away by the Arab Spring and become a thing of the past".

Rather than employing persuasion and dialogue, the Prime Minister is trying to buy off members of Al-Issawi's party by promising them cabinet posts and other perks.

Maliki has turned down the autonomy moves, claiming that they will gut the central government of authority. He is trying to use Sunni tribes opposed to the autonomy to push back against the rival tribes who are backing autonomy. The support, however, will come at a price because one of the tribes is demanding more jobs for Sunnis in the security forces and a halt to the harassment of people suspected of belonging to the banned Baath party of Saddam Hussein.

Now Maliki faces a new threat from his own Shiite camp. The party representing the political wing of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army has called for the dissolution of Parliament and new elections.

Bahaa al-Aaraji, the head of the Sadrist movement's bloc in Parliament, said elections are needed because "present partners [in government] can't come up with solutions in addition to the threat of Iraq's partition."

With US troops out, the Americans have diminished leverage. They are trying to use the Kurds to mediate between the Shiites and Sunnis over the outstanding issues. They are also using pending arms deals and relations with the predominantly Sunni Gulf States as bargaining cards.

The deterioration in Iraq will undoubtedly provoke criticism of the Obama administration's decision to cut back US forces. This criticism will, however, be offset by American public opinion which predominantly shares Barack Obama's appraisal that the US has done its share to provide Iraq with an opportunity and it is now up to the Iraqis. This perception will only be reversed if the deterioration in Iraq begins to visibly harm American interests.

http://www.israelnat...ews.aspx/151150

[SINGH]

"This perception will only be reversed if the deterioration in Iraq begins to visibly harm American interests."

See that very last sentence of this article is why Iraq won't fail.

(booooo yaaaaa 100............finally)

[Markinsa]

We didn't bail on the Japanese, we didn't bail on the Germans, we didn't bail on the French or English, but for some stupid reason we bailed on the Iraqi's.

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[tigerstripes]

We didn't bail on the Japanese, we didn't bail on the Germans, we didn't bail on the French or English, but for some stupid reason we bailed on the Iraqi's.

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Maybe they just have to let them sort things out themselves. There is obviously potential in the country, and that is why they are still pushing for diplomatic solutions.

Maybe Maliki has said to the US, "Okay, you guys pull out, let me do my thing to take out the trouble makers, and once I have all my chess pieces where I want them (government positions, security positions etc), I will be able to control the trouble makers and keep things peaceful".

Maliki seems to be taking on everybody at the moment, including Sadr, who I thought was a pretty strong ally of Maliki's.

Maybe a strong dictator is what the country actually needs. Not the same sort of dictator as Saddam obviously, but a dictator none the less.

Or.......maybe I should stay out of the politics side of things and stick with numbers

[CrappieShark]

Obama is a Muslim. Do not forget that. He was probobly told by one of the religious clerics to leave Iraq. He obeyed. Whatever sect he is under rules him. He is not an American and indeed cannot be. His one loyalty is to Allah then Islam and then to all Muslims and never can he be an American. Not ever. He lives a lie. If you understood what being a Muslim means you would understand. It would be the same for a devout Christian to deny Christ or for a devout Jew to denounce Jehovah God. If you were a devout Catholic the Pope would mean more to you than the president. And so it is with Obama. He is a devout Muslim and his loyalty and obedience will be to the clergy or sectarian rulers or great Imams. If they told him to leave Iraq he would use all of his ability to see that America left. It would not surprise me to find out Biden is a Muslim also. They probobly go to Iraq to get their orders and vice versa. I really do not like this administration. So many lies and so much deception. Only God knows what these people have done to the USA already. We really need to get our White House back. It is under foreign rule. I am reminded of a nation who said at one time we will take America and never fire a shot. I believe we are watching this come to pass right before our eyes.

[smee2]

Slimey politics and slimey politicians, slimey cheap shots and slimey untruths too. Just too much slime! Yuck!

Had I known when I got involved ... well, no ... I still would have come on board. And I cannot really say that I shouldn't have come to the forum because I have met some really great people here. Suck it up ... I stepped in it and now it's up to me to keep marching.

But I still say "Yuck" to this kind of slime!

smee2