Lawmakers in Iraq have approved a new power-sharing cabinet headed by Haider al-Abadi as the prime minister. But doubts persist as to whether this new administration designed for an 'inclusive' government will be able to deliver the goods at a critical period of the nation. The United States and some other countries like neighbouring Iran having big stakes in the affairs of Iraq have welcomed this development. They hoped that the Abadi government would effectively fight the 'Jihadists' - the Sunni fighters, who have occupied large areas in northern Iraq. It appears that the new government would be better placed than that of previous prime minister Noor-al-Malik in dealing with the new challenges that have threatened the territorial integrity of the country.
Iraq seems to be on the brink of collapse because of several factors. Large swathe of the country has gone under the control of Sunni 'Jihadists' while 'Kurdistan' - an autonomous region within Iraq---is also mulling a referendum for secession from the Baghdad authority. However, the Kurds are now fighting the Sunni fighters known as 'Islamic State' (IS) along with the Baghdad government since both appear to be frightened over the advances of the IS. The air attack by the United States in support of the Kurds and Iraq government has halted the IS progress. Shiite Iran is also supporting the anti-IS operations and is assisting the Baghdad authorities.
The government forces, suffering heavy setbacks earlier in the face of lightning offensive by the 'Islamic State of Iraq and Syria' (ISIS), are now using air attacks along with large-scale offensive by the ground troops to retake several areas occupied by the IS activists. The US, main backer of the Iraqi government, felt that the problems of Iraq were caused by the absence of an 'inclusive' government since Noor-al-Maliki, a radical Shia, turned the administration anti-Sunni and anti-Kurd that has helped the rise of the IS. It is the work mainly of the US and Britain that a new government has come up in Baghdad after Maliki was refusing to step down, which he did following pressure from these two countries and Iran.
The woes of Iraq, historically a land of Arab civilisation, know no bounds. It lands from one crisis to another and this has been particularly noticeable since the toppling of the Saddam Hossain government by the United States-led forces, an event that also saw the capture and killing of Saddam through a 'judicial trial'. Saddam himself was a dictator, who killed his own people mercilessly just to remain in power, but removal of his government through external forces had added a dangerous chapter to the topsy-turvy history of Iraq. As the country remains under the grip of the pro-Western Baghdad government and is intermittently experiencing sectarian clashes and violence dealing a blow to the much-needed stability, Iraq has of late been jolted by the sensational blitz by the IS military offensive that caught the Baghdad authorities largely unawares. Now they are trying to turn the table on the IS with US assistance of air attacks. However, the Obama administration said it would not send troops to Iraq again.
The reason of concerns in Iran is understandable since the overwhelmingly Shia majority Iran has close ties with the current Shia-led authority in Iraq. The anxiety in Washington and its allies is too obvious for the simple reason that they brought about a sea-change in Iraq by toppling the anti-West Saddam Hossain. The Americans have the biggest stakes in the country, from where they withdrew their troops in 2011 barring a small number of technical and other staff, handing down the security of the trouble-ridden nation to Iraq forces. But, Iraq is now again in big trouble and the US sent several hundred military advisers to confront the IS.
Iran found rare commonality with long-time hostile big power US as both are opposed to the offensive of the Sunni militants in Iraq. But Iran too is not keen to assist the Baghdad government by sending troops although it is believed to be assisting in other ways.
Now that Noor-al-Maliki is gone and Haider-al-Abadi is at the helm of Iraq, the country is faced with the new task of healing the Shia-Sunni rift in one hand and maintaining the new found Shia-Kurd unity on the other. Abadi, a Shiite politician, has promised to preside over a more 'inclusive' government - a mission that needs to be met for the greater interest of the country. The task is tough in the sense that the previous regime has alienated the Sunnis and the Kurds to a point that they have developed deep animosity towards the Baghdad government. While the Kurds are somewhat less hostile to the Iraq government because of their dislike towards the IS, the Sunnis are unlikely to be mollified so easily. In fact, the Sunnis who suffered too badly during the Maliki government, also form a part of the IS. The new prime minister is entrusted with the difficult task to wean them away from the IS and mingle them with the 'inclusive' Iraqi nation. Abadi, in his first address as the prime minister, said he would work for all communities of the country - a statement that has been welcomed by president Barack Obama.
Earlier, when Iraqi cities fell one after another to the offensive of the IS fighters, many Sunnis in the Iraqi army chose to support the militants rather than fighting for the Baghdad government which they loathed. A big challenge for the Abadi government is to regain the confidence of the Sunnis, particularly in the armed forces. Another vexed issue is the distribution of the key portfolios proportionately to Shias, Sunnis and Kurds. Abadi said he would himself run the interior and defence ministries for the time being. But two other communities are also claiming their share in the cake. The new prime minister assured that their interests would be taken care of in due course. It remains to be seen how the new government tackles the difficult conditions. Its big strength is the support from the US and also neighbouring Iran. However, these factors are not necessarily decisive to ensure all-round interest of the Iraq at the moment.
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