Crocker: Iraqi PM Maliki’s Turn Towards Dictatorship Is “In U.S. Interest”
Another new Wikileaks cable on Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki provides some insight into U.S. intentions in one of its newest client states. The diplomat writing the cables is Ryan Crocker, just recently appointed Ambassador to Afghanistan. He talks about Maliki’s turn towards authoritarianism and how his tactics and behavior have served to benefit U.S. interests there on the whole.
A key question posed by Maliki's evolving hold on levers of political and security power is whether the PM is becoming a non-democratic dictator bent on subordinating all authority to his hand or whether Maliki is attempting to rebalance political and security authority back to the center after five-plus years of intended and unintended dispersal to (and in some cases seizure by) actors and power structures outside Baghdad.[...] First seen as weak, ineffective, and ill-informed about the political and security structures put in place since Saddam's fall (Maliki was not a participant in the governing bodies set up during the CPA), Prime Minister Maliki was by the fall of 2008 being widely criticized - by leaders of the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) and other Sunni politicians, by the Kurdish political leadership, and by fellow Shi'a from outside Maliki's Da'wa Party -- as autocratic and excessively ambitious, with the long-term aim of becoming a new strong man dictator. The "political reform resolution," passed by parliament in conjunction with its approval of the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and Strategic Framework Agreement on November 27, 2008 (reftel), amounted to a manifesto of grievances against the Prime Minister that had been growing among his coalition partners, and the opposition, throughout the year. The document urged the Maliki Government to adhere to the Constitution, to commit to a democratic federal system, to share power with the legislature, to professionalize and depoliticize the security forces, to guarantee a free judiciary, disband "unconstitutional structures" within the government, and release prisoners eligible for amnesty or held without due process, among other demands.
Details are given about Maliki’s incessant corruption, nepotism, and over-reliance on security forces to get his way. And what does the U.S. think of this turn to centralized authority and strong-arm security tactics? It’s in the U.S. interest.
The critical progress on security and stability made over the past year, while underpinned by the U.S. military surge, owes much to Maliki's leadership and restoration of central government authority. It is in the interests of the U.S. to see that process of strengthened central authority continue...
There is a caveat thrown in there about doing this in a more “sustainable” way that reflects strong “institutions rather than personalities” and a “consensus national vision” among Iraq’s main groups. That is, so long as the main groups don’t interfere with our interests in Iraq. For example, to act as a check on Iran, to give primacy to American business, not interfering with U.S. military occupation and operations, and ignoring any part of Iraqi public opinion that contradicts U.S. imperial dictates.
curmudgeonvt
August 9th, 2011 at 9:06 pm
Of course it's in the USG's best interest. They own this guy and the more authoritarian Maliki is the less chance there is of the Parliament deciding to send the US occupiers packing.
John_Muhammad
August 9th, 2011 at 9:58 pm
It's in the best interest of the US to have 'their man' inpower, and Maliki's best interest to kowtow to the US as long as his paychecks keep coming in.
On the other hand, Maliki only has to look a few years back at Saddam Hussein's fate to see what his will be when his usefulness to the US has expired- he'll be hung out to dry and the next Bright Lad will step up to the plate.
And so the cycle continues.
Personally, I'd rather the US to be OUT of Iraq and somebody like Sadr in power- somebody who actually has a vision for his nation and the savvy to bring it about without outside intervention. He might not be our man, but it's a lot better to deal with an honest hard-liner than a dishonest lackey.
ghouri
August 10th, 2011 at 2:26 am
Dictators are always helped and wished by america.
This is a problem with america in whole world dictators are put in power by CIA a criminal organisation to kill human beings for their biast and arroganz mentality
2011-08-09 WikiLeaks Notes: Latest News on #Cablegate Releases … » WeNewsIt
August 10th, 2011 at 5:43 am
[...] Minister Maliki’s turn to centralized authority and strong-arm security tactics is said to be ‘in the interests of the U.S.’ in a cable written by Ryan Crocker, recently appointed Ambassador to [...]
Wlad
August 10th, 2011 at 6:03 am
This cable is expired by now …if you know anything about Iraqi politics Fri, 13 Feb 2009.
Can ‘Space Aliens’ Save Us? | Alien Guide to Planet Earth
August 15th, 2011 at 2:24 am
[...] attacks were a boon to the out-of-work War Party, and they certainly rose to the occasion: two wars, two ongoing military occupations, and a great swathe of the Middle East added to the American [...]
Cyber Drive
August 16th, 2011 at 10:45 pm
[...] attacks were a boon to the out-of-work War Party, and they certainly rose to the occasion: two wars, two ongoing military occupations, and a great swathe of the Middle East added to the American [...]
Jason Ditz « Antiwar Radio with Scott Horton and Charles Goyette
August 18th, 2011 at 5:42 am
[...] news editor at Antiwar.com, discusses why Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s “turn towards dictatorship” is deemed beneficial to the US; reneging on a promise to put the 2008 Iraq Status of Forces [...]
Jason Ditz | ANOMALY RADIO
August 18th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
[...] news editor at Antiwar.com, discusses why Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s “turn towards dictatorship” is deemed beneficial to the US; reneging on a promise to put the 2008 Iraq Status of Forces [...]
Iraq snapshot | thecommonillsbackup
August 18th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
[...] [...]
Drawing Parallels of US Imperialism: Who’s Next for Regime Change? « Antiwar.com Blog
August 22nd, 2011 at 1:07 pm
[...] Middle Eastern regimes that the US and its allies intervened to depose in the name of democracy. That hasn’t quite happened in Iraq. And signs are that it won’t happen in Libya for quite a while, given [...]
Iraq snapshot (C.I.) | thecommonillsbackup
August 24th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
[...] [...]
Princess gets some bad news (Cedric) | thecommonillsbackup
August 25th, 2011 at 2:40 am
[...] [...]
the patriot act (Rebecca) | thecommonillsbackup
August 25th, 2011 at 2:42 am
[...] [...]