Archive for 'Middle East'
Is Maliki His Own Man?
Robert Dreyfuss believes that Maliki pushed ahead with the Status of Forces Agreement because he was given the implicit go-ahead by Iran. Perhaps that would explain why he was so amendable to accepting the Sunni bloc’s demands for re-visiting the Iraqi constitution and placing the agreement up for national referendum — if Iran was content [...]
Full StoryThe Unbearable Lightness of Being Nouri al-Maliki
Nouri al-Maliki has achieved what once would have seemed impossible for him: a Status of Forces Agreement with the United States that meets the vast majority of his demands. Just two years ago, Maliki was chosen as a weak consensus Prime Minister meant to satiate the demands of Muqtada al-Sadr’s followers while disallowing the overly powerful Suprme Islamic Iraqi Council even greater power. Today, al-Maliki is easily the most powerful politician in Iraq, with some suggesting his strength could reach almost dictatorial levels.
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