Iraqi President Nominates Maliki for Prime Minister

Parliament steps toward new government as Sunni bloc stages walkout

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, center, shakes hands with a lawmaker during a parliament session in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010. Al-Maliki cobbled together alliances with Iranian-backed religious Shiite parties, including the Sadrist movement led by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has close ties to Iran. (Photo credit: Karim Kadim / AP)

Reuters and The Associated Press via MSNBC.com
November 11, 2010

Excerpts

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s president gave Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki the nod to form the next government Thursday after an eight-month deadlock, but a dramatic walkout from parliament by his Sunni rivals cast doubt on a power-sharing deal reached by the two sides less than a day earlier.

The walkout underlined the Sunni minority’s reluctance over the prospective new unity government outlined in the deal, which ensures continued Shiite domination while giving Sunnis a role far short of the greater political power they seek.

Sunni support for any new government is key. The Americans had been pushing for them to have a significant role, fearing that otherwise, disillusioned Sunnis could turn to the insurgency, fueling new violence as the last of U.S. troops prepare to leave by the end of next year. …

The Sunni minority had put great hopes in the March elections and succeeded in lifting their bloc to a narrow victory: Allawi’s Sunni-backed Iraqiya coalition won the most seats in the March elections, but not a majority. Al-Maliki, whose State of Law party came in second, cobbled together alliances with Iranian-backed religious Shiite parties, gathering enough seats to thwart Allawi’s bids for either the prime minister job and the presidency. …

Even if the power-sharing deal holds, it could potentially be a setback for the U.S., which had been pushing for a greater Sunni say in power, and a boost for regional rival Iran. …

The new government could also give a significant role to the Sadrist movement, led by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has grown closer to Iran. Al-Maliki’s alliance with the Sadrists was key to keeping him in power. …

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Related reports in this site

Muqtada al-Sadr Rises to Power (Oct. 1, 2010)

Iraq Election Violence Continues (June 20, 2010)

Pro-Iran Pact Emerges in Iraq
(May 5, 2010)

Iraq Election Turmoil (April 26, 2010)

Bloody Easter in Baghdad (April 4, 2010)

Muqtada al-Sadr on the March (March 31, 2010)

Iraq Election Results (March 26, 2010)

Iraq Election Violence (March 8, 2010)

Iraq Election Preview (March 6, 2010)

Iraq Set to Elect Pro-Iran Leader (Feb. 25, 2010)

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with Iran’s President Ahmadinejad

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — November 12, 2009

Bachmann Rebuked for Nazi Image

One year ago today, I reported that U.S. Rep. Steve Israel called on U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann to apologize for Holocaust imagery displayed at a rally organized by Bachmann at the U.S. Capitol on November 5, 2009 to protest health care reform.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: Two Years Ago — November 12, 2008

Iraq War Drags On in Mosul

U.S. Army soldiers investigate the site of a car bombing in Mosul, northwest of Baghdad, Iraq on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008. Five years after the U.S.-led invasion and following a significant drop in violence countrywide over the past year, the battle for Iraq’s third-largest city continues. (Photo credit: Maya Alleruzzo / AP)

Two years ago today, on Nov. 12, 2008, I reported that since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, the pendulum in Mosul, Iraq, had swung several times between stark violence and fragile security and that the future of Mosul hung in the balance. I also reported that Taliban fighters had hijacked trucks carrying Humvees and other supplies for U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan.