Iraq’s New “Strongman” Gaining Too Much Strength?
British news source The Guardian released a piece yesterday on the man at the forefront of Iraqi politics, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. He has begun to assert himself more in the political arena since the beginning of the US military surge in Iraq, and questions are arising as to whether Washington will soon step in and lay down the law to curb his behavior.
The US has set a precedent of developing strong ties with and closely monitoring the activities of the political figureheads put into place in Iraq. It has effectively influenced Iraq’s leadership in doing so. The previous prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, was eventually viewed as too independent by the US government and removed from his position.
Although al-Maliki faced challenges of a divided and unstable government when he entered office, and regardless of the fact that he is only really able to govern successfully the Green Zone, which is protected by the US, some officials believe he is becoming power hungry. This could be due in part to rising oil prices and increasing stability in some crucial regions of Iraq, both of which could lead to an inflated sense of success. The US response to his growing confidence will be something to monitor in the coming weeks.
Haley Hackendale
