Simon Tisdall: Iraq's shock election result may be turning point for Iran
Result is blow to US, but Iran will also lose out after Iraq’s protest against rule by proxy.
The unexpectedly poor showing of Haider al-Abadi, Iraq’s prime minister, in parliamentary elections has dealt a blow to US influence in the country. It was a poor return for American backing for the Baghdad government’s drive to extirpate Islamic State and regain lost territory.
But the bigger loser may be Iran, whose allies in Iraq’s Shia militias known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces were pushed into second place by Moqtada al-Sadr, the veteran nationalist. Put simply, Sadr believes Iraqis should run Iraqi affairs – not Washington, not Tehran and not their proxies.
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WNU Editor: Moqtada al-Sadr's coalition has not won enough votes to be a majority .... they will have to look for a coalition partner. The defeat of Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi is a disappointment for the U.S. .... his party came in third .... but he will probably become the power broker on who forms the next government. As for Iran .... their allies came in second .... which was not expected, they had expectations of being in the majority.
As I understand the relation, the US military has close intelligence sharing with Iraq but combat forces have been withdrawing.
ReplyDeleteGiven the blood letting of Americans by al-Sadr's I can't see the US continuing any sort of intelligence sharing with him as PM. This could be another time when a US President pulls all the way out of Iraq. Then again, Iraqi politics is more opaque than onyx crystals, so who knows.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to look at this from an Iraqi viewpoint. I've been subjected to war in or near my country for decades. I'm weary of death and destruction. Get out of my country America and Iran. Hence the vote could be seen in part, as a vote against the gun toting Iran supported militia and against a weak Iraqi leader allied with America. There certainly is a lack of enthusiasm in Iraq.
I think this election is a good time for us to exit.
Perhaps the Iranians won't have as much control as they would like, but I doubt they'll be too awful disappointed since Moqtada al Sadr won't be their enemy either like Saddam was.
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