The former prime minister’s nomination to return to the post has elicited warnings from Washington
Nouri al-Maliki, a two-term Iraqi prime minister viewed in Washington as being too close to Iran, has been nominated for a third term, prompting US warnings of diplomatic and economic repercussions and sparking accusations of foreign interference in the Arab nation’s sovereignty.
So, who is Nouri al-Maliki and why has his likely return to power got Washington’s attention?
An early member of Iraq’s Islamic Dawa Party, an opposition group under Saddam Hussein’s regime, al-Maliki spent 25 years in exile in Syria and Iran before returning to Iraq after the 2003 US-led invasion. He rose steadily through the political ranks, eventually becoming prime minister in 2006. He served two consecutive terms until 2014 – the longest tenure since the invasion – and previously held other cabinet positions.
Al-Maliki’s first period in power coincided with some of the most turbulent years in Iraq’s modern history. Critics say his policies, including measures linked to de Baathification and centralization, deepened sectarian divides and Sunni radicalization, while failing to curb corruption.
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