U.S. newspaper: Washington's policy towards Iraq raise doubts with the promotion of al-Maliki to power
04/10/2012 10:41:53


Iraq (Iba) Follow-up / - apparently the first spring of Iraq since the withdrawal of U.S. forces in December (December), at first glance, Chapter the most peaceful and missions of hope and witnessed by the country in a decade, and is, according to Iraqi and U.S. officials evidence of the success of Obama's policy in Iraq. Not realized fears of the collapse of the system, and has seen «base» decline in terms of frequency and power and that did not stop, while pumping oil at record levels of maintenance of the fields that were returned in the south. At the same time did not accelerate the Iraqi government to fall into the arms of Iran, but sought instead to woo its Arab neighbors. But the sight of calm, which lasted four months, carrying with him some of the damage was, according to many Iraqis, in the growth of autocratic behavior of Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki, who pointed out that he seeks strongly to strengthen his control of the country's institutions and security forces with the consent and clear from the Obama administration. in the wake of the withdrawal of U.S. forces in December, expanded al-Maliki of his influence to long political rivals, and faces charges of minority Sunni and Kurdish its intention to establish authoritarian rule. Not days later, on the withdrawal of U.S. forces even issued an arrest warrant for Tareq al-Hashemi, Vice President and then followed by the recent rejection of the autonomy enjoyed by the Kurdish region in the north, prompting threats of Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani to cut ties with Baghdad. has over Sunnis and Kurds for their anger than the efforts of Maliki, who has deliberately to exclude them from power, and drew accusations of the United States Baltkhazl, or stand idly about the excesses or pressure on him to implement the previous agreements that pledge under which the participation of power. indicates the year that they are scared of the control of Maliki's security forces, where he was arrested dozens - and some They say hundreds - in recent weeks in an attempt to secure Baghdad before the Arab Summit last month, has not released a lot of them. And confirms the year disgruntled that their sense of deprivation of their rights has never been as much as it is now, while crossing the Kurds also for their sense of the increasing marginalization of the central government, let alone worrying signs about the future stability of Iraq. , says Alaa Makki, a member of the Iraqi Parliament for block «Iraq», for the U.S. role in Iraq: «They do not do anything, but they need to do more. It has become their goal the establishment of a unified and democratic Iraq is now threatening to go half as authoritarian ». But Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, the former head of the Iraqi parliament, he explained that the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, the largest in the world, continues to gain wide influence in spite of the recent decline. Mashhadani said: «But they are not using this leverage, it seems they are convinced al-Maliki, who is keen to turn on not doing anything that could harm U.S. interests». and crystallized Sunni fears in recent weeks of Obama's candidacy Brett Macgork, 38, lawyer and advisor to the U.S. Embassy Iraq has, for the position of the new Ambassador to Iraq, where Sunnis see that Macgork, Senior Advisor to Ambassador James Jeffrey and former ambassador Christopher Hill, is closely linked to the decision of the United States the controversial in 2010 to support al-Maliki at the expense of Iyad Allawi, the best hope for Iraq. was «Iraq »has retreated from its threats to boycott the previous Macgork If approved, on his appointment as ambassador, but the year in spite of this they point to the Christznon to a large extent set the doubt that he refers to the expected continuation of the unconditional support of the owners. Mackie says: «Some of the leaders of the (Iraqi) feel that this option represents a preference for some political trends in Iraq. They believe that he was supposed to Berat to support the political process as a whole in Iraq does not tend to by some individuals and not to others ». for its part, defended the U.S. Embassy strongly on the nomination of Macgork, where he confirmed his former colleagues and current that has the potential to impact on al-Maliki because of the close relationship which brought them together during the negotiations in 2008 on the Status of Forces Agreement and the failure of talks last year on extending the presence of U.S. troops. Moreover, say the Macgork did not engineer the decision to support Maliki in 2010 and he has only implemented the policy set by Washington. on the other side, showing Maliki's aides happiness nomination Macgork, and U.S. policy in general toward Iraq, which they described as less interference in Iraqi affairs than it was during the U.S. troop presence. Khaled al-Asadi, a member of the House of Representatives for the Dawa party of the owners, which is associated with close ties to Prime Minister: «every American intervention in internal affairs is now over, they do not interfere in our affairs, not exercising pressure on us, they only provide advice. Because they are our friends, we listen to their advice. In some cases, we accept this advice, but when they are positive and which are on our side ». Even if the United States can, or should, do more than that, it all into question, with the departure of U.S. troops retreat of American influence in Iraq, and shattered the Obama administration more leverage not to discuss the possibility of holding future agreements with the Iraqi government on the use of trained U.S. military, and other advisers who support the role of the United States, according to Kenneth Pollack, director of «Saban Center» for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, who added: «We have gave away a lot of influence ». There was no U.S. officials in Baghdad directly to the allegations that they prefer Maliki, but stressed that the United States exert influence more apparent than it is to ease the political tension. He met Jeffrey with Maliki more than ten times this year, also made ​​by President Obama's remarks strong about the issue of Iraq several times during the past two weeks, which included telephone conversation with Maliki last week and the confrontation with Barzani in Washington, which asserts that the President made ​​clear that the United States will not supports the effort of the Kurdish independence at the expense of its commitment to a unified Iraq. said a U.S. official, who asked not to be named because the issue of U.S. influence in Iraq is sensitive: «It's like a tour of the game (death train), but we expect. Iraq remains a unified, and we contribute a role in it ». at the same time continue to officials in Washington described Iraq as «the unique story of success» .. He said Antony Blinken, adviser to Vice President Joe Biden for National Security Affairs, told a forum in Washington last month: «Iraq today is less violent, more democratic and well-being, and the United States more presence there than ever before in recent times». But some analysts believe that the tensions in Iraq during the past few months has raised doubts about whether U.S. support for the owners over time will contribute to the stability of Iraq. Says Toby Dodge, an expert on Iraqi affairs, Faculty of Economics in London: «Maliki is heading towards a dictatorship of a destructive to a large extent, and it seems to me that the Obama administration to give it the green light to implement it. At the same time the results will be most likely, which will be either a dictatorship or civil war, Iraq is disastrous because between Syria and Iran ».



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