US President Donald Trump has called on Iraq to prevent the appointment of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister. Maliki was previously the prime minister when ISIS took over a third of Iraq.
He was pushed out in 2014 as Iraq descended into chaos. However, he has been able to work his way back toward power over the last decade. He secured support from key Shi’ite factions in Iraq over the weekend.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had heard that Iraq might “make the very bad choice” of installing Maliki back into the prime minister’s office. Trump correctly noted that the last time Maliki was in charge, the country fell into poverty and chaos. “That should not be allowed to happen again,” Trump warned that the US would not help Iraq if Maliki became prime minister. “Make Iraq great again,” Trump concluded.
The decision to wade into the internal politics of a foreign country is not that uncommon for the White House. Trump has also made comments about Israel’s internal politics and has also appeared to support leaders in Latin America. As such, Trump’s comments are not entirely unique. What is unique is that Trump and his team clearly are attuned to the problems that Maliki would bring.
Maliki originally came to power almost two decades ago, rising to the level of prime minister first in 2006 and staying until 2014. He is a key feature of the Iraqi political landscape. He is pro-Iranian. Previous US administrations thought Maliki was a strongman who might help sort out Iraq after the US invasion in 2003. However, his sectarian policies alienated Sunni Arabs in Iraq and fueled extremism. The rise of ISIS was one result.
US officials and Members of Congress are focused on Iraq. US Congressman Joe Wilson wrote on January 27, that he was grateful to “support the spectacular efforts of President Donald Trump and Special Envoy Mark Savaya” on Iraq issues.
Wilson has argued Iraq should be free from Iran’s control. “It is critical that Iraqi leaders do not repeat the mistakes of the past by misreading the position of the United States as ambiguous or negotiable.
Iranian influence in Iraq will no longer be tolerated
Under US President Donald Trump, the United States' position is clear and unequivocal. Iranian influence in Iraq will no longer be tolerated. The era in which outside actors imposed prime ministers on Iraq is over.” He noted that “the new prime minister and government must serve only the interests of the Iraqi people. The practice of sacrificing Iraq’s wealth, sovereignty, and stability to serve external agendas has ended.”
Wilson also called for the disarmament and dismantling of “Iranian-aligned militia groups within six to twelve months.” US Envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya also noted, “while our team works on the ground in Iraq to support the formation of a new government and to prevent Iranian-backed militias from rising to positions of power, it is equally and even more critical to prepare for confronting the corruption crisis in Iraq.
This effort must go beyond tracking funds that were looted and transferred outside the country. It must also identify where those funds went and how they were ultimately used.”
The comments by Trump, Savaya, Wilson, and others show how much the US is focused on Iraq. Washington wants to see Iraq reduce the influence of Iran’s militias. This is even more essential in the wake of the militias, such as Kataib Hezbollah, threatening to support Iran in any new conflict in the region.