Regional powers could not have allowed Maliki to remain in office

Imagine what would have happened if the Islamic State terrorist group, formerly known as ISIL, hadn’t challenged Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al Maliki’s forces when he launched an offensive on Anbar region three months ago, said the columnist Abdulrahman Al Rashed, in the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al Awsat.

Imagine if the Islamic State hadn’t taken over Mosul in June and spread fear among Iraqis, who had to witness their army and security forces collapse time and again, he added.

“It was those serious issues that eventually convinced so many Iraqis that Nouri Al Maliki was responsible for the crisis and his stay in power would pose a threat to all of Iraq, since he monopolised decision-making authorities in all matters, including military and security issues,” the writer said.

“It was the Islamic State, led by the world’s number one terrorist, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, that pushed Mr Al Maliki towards a swift defeat in his battle for re-election as prime minister,” he added.

The defeat came as a surprise to Mr Al Maliki himself. The man had fortified his position to the point that he had secured a good number of parliament members who would vote for him and guarantee him another four-year term at the helm.

He smugly challenged all of his adversaries and would ridicule those who were trying to build a coalition to bring him down.

Most of Iraq’s major powers had been collaborating for some time to get him out of the way, including the Al Sadr movement, the Higher Council, the Kurds and the Sunnis. But some reports alleged that Mr Al Maliki used funds and government benefits at his disposal to buy votes. It was even said that he threatened some of his adversaries with legal action over corruption and terrorism issues. Numerous Iraqi politicians had complained of such manoeuvres and admitted their inability to stand up to him.

“Al Baghdadi brought Al Maliki down. The terrorist organisation exploited the state of chaos and outrage against the government and Mr Al Maliki’s mismanagement of the armed forces to claim substantial victories,” Al Rashed observed.

Following the fall of Mosul to the Islamic State, fear reigned over the rest of Iraq’s cities. The US and Iran, both guarantors of the new Iraqi system of rule, also sensed that Mr Al Maliki’s stay in power would mean an end to Iraq as we know it. If he were allowed to remain in his position, he would have caused the disintegration of the country with the Kurds threatening to seek total independence while the rest of the population engaged in civil war. This situation was ideal for terrorism to spread, and that could have turned Iraq into the central threat to the world.

On the same subject, the news website Rai Al Youm observed: “Had Iraqi cities not fallen like flies one after the other before the Islamic State’s forces, Mr Al Maliki would have remained in power to form a new government.”

But Iran, Mr Al Maliki’s primary backer, realised that it would need to collaborate with all the powers in the region and in the world to confront this overwhelming threat. That included engaging with the US, Saudi Arabia and Iraq’s Sunnis.

Tehran had to admit that the only way for it to form an alliance with all of these diverging forces would be to sacrifice Mr Al Maliki, who stood as a hurdle in its way. “Hence, Iran was obligated to forsake its ally,” an editorial on the website said.

Saudi Arabia had vetoed Mr Al Maliki and refused to maintain any form of interaction with him and his government. He was never invited to visit the kingdom due to his sectarianism and his blatant marginalisation of Sunnis. But such a stance didn’t convince him to change his ways. On the contrary, he did the opposite of what was expected and waged aggressive campaigns against Saudi Arabia, accusing it of plotting with Qatar to support terrorism in his country.

“The task ahead of Dr Haidar Abadi, the newly appointed prime minister, is not an easy one. The force that toppled his predecessor – the Islamic State – is gaining power and influence. And he will have to deal with the colossal damage that Mr Al Maliki caused during eight years in power. This will require more than good intentions,” said Rai Al Youm.

rmakarem@thenational.ae