What Is al-Maliki Up To In Iraq?
Iraq gave its political muscles a flex yesterday when Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki demanded that US forces remove blockades in Sadr City. The checkpoints had been set up in response to the abduction of a US soldier. US and assisting Iraqi troops packed up their razor wire and traffic cones and meekly went home before the 5 pm deadline imposed by al-Maliki. Civilians and Mahdi Army militia loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr celebrated in the streets, firing rifles into the air and chanting anti-American slogans.
Only time will tell what actually happened yesterday. After months of confusion and numerous failed attempts to create a workable, much less unified, government, is al-Maliki really taking command? Has he finally marshaled consensus among his disparate and violent political allies? Has he finally developed the political muscle to control and rebuild the military? Has he finally achieved the support and cooperation of his people to rebuild their country? Or is he merely toadying up to the powerful al-Sadr in a last-ditch attempt to retain a ham-fisted grasp of personal power?
Last week al-Maliki railed against Bush's demand that Iraq adopt timetables for political progress, accusing Washington of infringing on Iraq's sovereignty. Was he serious? Is Iraq finally ready to chart its own destiny and control its own citizenry? If so, America couldn't be happier. We're more than ready to turn over the reigns and bring our young men and women home. Or, more probable, was al-Maliki capitulating to pressures from his powerful political allies to stand up against America? It's suspicious that al-Maliki's demand came just hours after al-Sadr threatened a campaign of civil disobedience and his armed militia went through Sadr City closing shops and schools.
It remains to be seen if al-Maliki is his own man with the welfare of the Iraqi people at heart or just a shill for another volatile cleric with political designs of his own. Will Iraq follow in Iran's dangerous footsteps? Is al-Sadr another Ayatollah Khomeini in sheep's clothing? Will al-Maliki become a mere errand boy for al-Sadr, or is he already? We'll just have to wait and see.
Only time will tell what actually happened yesterday. After months of confusion and numerous failed attempts to create a workable, much less unified, government, is al-Maliki really taking command? Has he finally marshaled consensus among his disparate and violent political allies? Has he finally developed the political muscle to control and rebuild the military? Has he finally achieved the support and cooperation of his people to rebuild their country? Or is he merely toadying up to the powerful al-Sadr in a last-ditch attempt to retain a ham-fisted grasp of personal power?
Last week al-Maliki railed against Bush's demand that Iraq adopt timetables for political progress, accusing Washington of infringing on Iraq's sovereignty. Was he serious? Is Iraq finally ready to chart its own destiny and control its own citizenry? If so, America couldn't be happier. We're more than ready to turn over the reigns and bring our young men and women home. Or, more probable, was al-Maliki capitulating to pressures from his powerful political allies to stand up against America? It's suspicious that al-Maliki's demand came just hours after al-Sadr threatened a campaign of civil disobedience and his armed militia went through Sadr City closing shops and schools.
It remains to be seen if al-Maliki is his own man with the welfare of the Iraqi people at heart or just a shill for another volatile cleric with political designs of his own. Will Iraq follow in Iran's dangerous footsteps? Is al-Sadr another Ayatollah Khomeini in sheep's clothing? Will al-Maliki become a mere errand boy for al-Sadr, or is he already? We'll just have to wait and see.
