After Almost 5 Years, There's Finally Politics in Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki came under fire recently after continuing and increasing sectarian violence has wracked the Iraqi region recently, culminating in the massive suicide bombings in Northern Iraq that killed hundreds of civilians. All of this after Bush's much touted, and seemingly ineffectual, troop build-up known as the Surge. Accordingly, there were calls from our esteemed officials for the removal of Maliki from his position of power. And not just our officials, but the British and even the French. I know what you're saying, but yes even the French. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner was quoted as suggesting that Maliki step down from his position, but do not worry, he has (as of Monday) apologized for his statement and for meddling in Iraq affairs.

But, despite all this, Maliki managed to pull it through. He started with a broad attack, responding to American critics of his policies, thusly "There are American officials who consider Iraq as if it were one of their villages, for example Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin. They should come to their senses". This is a brilliant political move. By attacking only his Democratic detractors, it shows Americans his support for the Bush administration that put him in power, while making it appear to his fellow Iraqi's that he's telling Washington where they can stuff it. This wins him some popular support at home and allows him to execute part two of his plan to save Iraq, or, as someone more cynical might assert, to save specifically his administration.

Part two was the forming of what would be termed anywhere else in the world a coalition government. He got together with various leaders of the sects in Iraq and hammered out a compromise. The compromise formed by this coalition entails the following points according to the BBC and Al-Jazeera; the freeing of detainees held without charge, easing the ban on Baathist supporters in government posts, regulating the oil industry and holding provincial elections. This compromise is genius politics at it's best, it both addresses most everyone's immediate concerns, and fails to fix the core problem (the reasons for these schisms) but, delays having to deal with it, leaving it for a future generation of politicians.

But, despite Bush's glowing praise of these reforms, as well as general foreign acclaim for them, all might not be a sunny as it seems. Monday, Khalaf al-Ilyan, a leader of the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front had this to say, "Our position is that this meeting represents a new phase of procrastination and does not honestly aim at solving the problems quickly, I think that no real or practical solution will come out of this." Another leader, Adnan al-Dulaimi went on to say more in a statement both deceptively positive and then hope-dashingly dark by saying that the accords were "good decisions that would serve the whole Iraqi people, but we doubt that they will be implemented. All of our experience with al-Maliki indicates that this is another new set of delaying measures. They give you a glimmer of hope, but at the end of the day you get nothing in return." When all was said and done, the agreement seems to have had very little domestic effect. The Sunni bloc of government workers and officials, who performed a walkout of their posts earlier this month to protest Maliki, effectively crippling the government, did not return to their posts. Violence has continued to infect the land with the current rate of infighting, suicide bombings and attacks on US forces remaining largely unchanged despite the agreement.

Mr. Maliki's plan has both succeeded and backfired, is both lauded and reviled. Despite his ability to bring these warring groups to the table to hammer some kind of compromise into existence and despite his ability to woo foreign approval, there remain issues that still need to be resolved and parties that are not completely satisfied, in this case, domestic ones. However, he did manage to save his administration from imminent collapse. If America claims to have gone into Iraq to bring democracy, and if our particular brand of that hallowed government system is model that was used in Iraq, then I have only one thing to say: Mission Accomplished.