Word: nouri
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Obama's victory certainly helps the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, because al-Maliki is looking to base his political appeal on being the man who got the U.S. out of Iraq (even though he still depends on its military presence). Dealing with a U.S. President committed to the same goal (rather than with President Bush, who had openly advocated a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq) will certainly help a Prime Minister under pressure from both his own electorate and his influential neighbor, Iran, to refrain from authorizing an extended U.S. presence. Neutralizing the presence...
...politicians. Awkwardly, that is opposition to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), the understanding that would formalize and legalize the continued presence of U.S. forces on Iraqi soil. In late October, when the Bush Administration leaked a draft of SOFA that it had worked out with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government, his Cabinet demanded a renegotiation. No particular provision seems to be objectionable so much as the agreement itself: it is practically political suicide for an Iraqi politician to be seen authorizing the U.S. occupation. So now the U.S. is stuck in a game of chicken with...
...agreement is not yet complete, of course. There are still points of contention over immunity for U.S. forces, and over the Iraqis' demand for the right to inspect weapons and military equipment being brought into the country "to ensure they are suitable for the security mission", as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki put it in an interview with The Times - i.e. to ensure that Iraq's territory is not being used as a staging ground for any U.S. action against Iran. The pact will have to be approved by Iraq's cabinet and parliament, where it could still encounter opposition...
...recent farewell banquet hosted by Iraqi government officials for General David Petraeus, an aide to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki lauded the U.S. military chief's efforts to help bring violence down to levels not seen since early 2004. "We appreciate what you've done, General," the aide recalls saying, "but there's another American General who would be warmly and immediately embraced by all Iraqis, one who would help us even more...
Boosting the strength and confidence of the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has long been a Bush Administration goal in Iraq, yet the stronger and more confident al-Maliki becomes at home, the more inclined he has been to defy his U.S. patron...