Monday, August 11, 2014

Has The White House's Iraq Policy Backfired?

President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki walk from the Oval Office for a joint press availability in the Rose Garden at the White House, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy

U.S. Helped Push Iraq’s Politics To A Breaking Point, And Now Is Pushing Maliki Out -- Josh Rogin, Daily Beast

America’s rush to pressure Iraq’s political process may have backfired, analysts say—contributing to the crisis that threatens to tank the new government before it gets started.

President Obama has said that more U.S. help to Iraq in fighting ISIS depends on the Iraqis forming an inclusive government. But the American strategy to push the Iraqi political process appears to be backfiring, analysts say—and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has decided to fight to the end to hold onto power.

U.S. officials said late Sunday night that Maliki was being unreasonable when he accused Iraqi President Fouad Massoum of engaging in a “coup” by not selecting a new prime minister by Sunday midnight, the end of a constitutionally mandated deadline. Massoum’s failure to act leaves Maliki as the only choice for prime minister, according to Malik’s logic, a proposition U.S. officials sharply disagree with as they try to show Maliki the exit.

Read more ....

My Comment:It is true that President Obama's Iraq policy deserves to be criticized, but the lion share of blame must rest on the shoulders of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the Iraqi people who voted for him constantly.

Update: In search of Obama's Iraq strategy -- Nick Childs, BBC

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