The Iraq crisis has taken a new turn for the worse as prime minister Nur-al-Maliki refuses to relinquish power after country's president named a new prime minister and the American planes continue to attack the positions of the Sunni fighters. The beleaguered prime minister Maliki was replaced by his close aide Haider al-Abadi.
Baghdad government's main backer United States has thrown its weight behind the decision of replacing Mailik. The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also congratulated Abadi as the new prime minister of the crisis-ridden country. But the situation has been made complicated by Maliki's determination to remain in power and he has deployed special forces to protect his interest.
It is a fast developing situation. Two issues are dominating the scene at the moment -the power struggle in Baghdad and more importantly, the war situation between the Sunni fighters known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Lebanon (ISIS) and the Iraqi and Kurdish forces.  The United States and other Western backers of the Iraqi government blame Maliki for much of the ills of the present situation in Iraq as the hardline Shia prime minister alienated the Sunnis and Kurds from the mainstream national affairs. Consequently, this has enabled the ISIS to exploit the anti-Shia resentment.
Both US president Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon have expressed the hope that a new "inclusive" government would be set up in Iraq with suitable representation from all communities. But the task appears to have run into trouble with Maliki's stance.
ISIS fighters have overrun large swathes of northern and western Iraq following their success in parts of Syria and have established the "Islamic Caliphate" which has been ignored by the United States and others. Interestingly, the US and Iraq's neighbour Iran have found a rare commonality of interest in the latest situation in Iraq as both are opposed to the ISIS although two nations have been at loggerheads on major international affairs. Both Tehran and Washington are assisting the Baghdad government in face of ISIS advance and the US has resorted to air attack against their positions when they were nearing Arbil, the capital of Kurdistan. This has weakened the ISIS, but not substantially as its fighters have made new gains despite the American assault.
Iraq's political geography is murky and confusing as the country is now virtually divided into three major groups - the Shia, Sunni and Kurds. It was earlier decided that the majority population Shias would have the position of powerful prime minister while the Kurds the largely ceremonial presidency and the Sunni will have speakership of parliament. Maliki has served two terms and was looking for a third one when he has been replaced. But he calls his change "unconstitutional" while a court has reportedly ruled in his favour. But US president Barack Obama has warned Maliki not to stir the water and refrain from trying to remain in position.
Maliki is seeking to use security forces in his favour and this has brought him on collision course with his opponents within the government. All this has put the future of the Iraq government in jeopardy while an impression has gained ground that Maliki has little choice to cling to power after the US has gone against him. However, his fate depends on the outcome of the infighting within the government.
In the battlefront, the ISIS has come under intermittent attacks from the US combat aircraft, which is helping the Kurds fighters. But the American bombardment has not been able to contain the ISIS fighters. President Obama ordered the air attack in a stark reversal of his fundamental foreign policy as he felt that the ISIS actions were threatening American interests and the religious minorities including the Christians and a small group called Yazhids.
Evidently, Iraqi situation has worsened with the unexpected power struggle in Baghdad and escalation of fighting surrounding the Kurdistan, an autonomous region of Iraq that seeks independence from Baghdad, but is also fighting the ISIS. Iraqi scene is shrouded in uncertainty and it remains to be seen how things develop there.
zaglulchowdhury@yahoo.com
A new twist in Iraq crisis
Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury | Published: August 14, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
US continues strikes on northern Iraq.
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