Last week’s events in Iraq may unfortunately be seen in the future as a milestone, one that threatens to breakup this country into tiny warring statelets defined by narrow concepts of sect and ethnicity.
Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s government appeared to have spoken too soon when it called the clearing of a protest camp in Ramadi a success. Having described the camp as a magnet for Al Qaida terrorists, Al Maliki pledged to withdraw troops to defuse tensions only to reverse the decision when it emerged that the problem was far from being solved. Only two days after the clearing, Al Maliki’s own government admitted that Al Qaida-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) controlled parts of Ramadi and Falluja.
This puts Iraq at a dangerous crossroads. Isil militants marched into the two cities chanting jihadist slogans, set up checkpoints and planted their flags. The group’s agenda is in its name — that is to spread its extremist ideology beyond the Middle East’s borders as we know them and rule by the sword. What is even more worrying is that Al Anbar borders Syria where Isil controls a significant amount of territory. If the trend continues, we may witness the start of a process in which Al Qaida takes control of contiguous territory that transcends national boundaries.
All this has happened under the watch of Al Maliki, who is rumoured to be considering a third term as Prime Minister.
With 2013 having emerged as the deadliest in Iraq in five years, Al Qaida controlling parts of two major cities in one of the country’s largest provinces and the Kurdish Regional Government openly defying Baghdad and threatening the country’s sovereignty by unilaterally trading the country’s resources with its neighbours, it is difficult to imagine how Al Maliki believes he is still a suitable candidate to rule the country for a third term.
The Middle East’s borders are being redrawn by the wrong people once again. The region needs strong, unifying figures to confront them and Al Maliki is not one of them.
