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{{Short description|Prime Minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}} | |||
| name = Nouri Kamel al-Maliki<br>نوري كامل المالكي | |||
{{Infobox officeholder | |||
| image = Nouri al-Maliki with Bush, June 2006, cropped.jpg | |||
| name = Nouri al-Maliki | |||
| imagesize = 200px | |||
| image = Nouri al-Maliki in Iraqi parliamentary election, 2018 08 (cropped).jpg | |||
| order = ] | |||
| caption = Al-Maliki in 2018 | |||
| president = ] | |||
| |
| office = ] | ||
| |
| president = ]<br>] | ||
| deputy = {{List collapsed|title=''See list''|]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]}} | |||
| term_end = | |||
| term_start = 20 May 2006 | |||
| predecessor = ] | |||
| term_end = 8 September 2014 | |||
| successor = | |||
| predecessor = ] | |||
| birth_date = {{bda|1950|06|20|df=y}} | |||
| |
| successor = ] | ||
| |
| office1 = ] | ||
| |
| alongside1 = ] and ] | ||
| president1 = Fuad Masum | |||
| alma_mater = ]<br>] | |||
| term_start1 = 10 October 2016<ref name=restored/> | |||
| term_end1 = 2 October 2018 | |||
| predecessor1 = Himself | |||
| successor1 = ''Vacant'' | |||
| term_start2 = 9 September 2014 | |||
| term_end2 = 11 August 2015<ref>{{cite web |last=Aldosary |first=Salman |url=http://english.aawsat.com/2015/09/article55344978/iraq-maliki-nujaifi-say-pms-decision-to-cancel-vice-president-posts-unconstitutional |title=Iraq: Maliki, Nujaifi say PM's decision to cancel vice president posts "unconstitutional" |publisher=Asharq al-Awsat |date=1 September 2015 |access-date=24 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222125630/http://english.aawsat.com/2015/09/article55344978/iraq-maliki-nujaifi-say-pms-decision-to-cancel-vice-president-posts-unconstitutional |archive-date=22 December 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
| president2 = Fuad Masum | |||
| alongside2 = Osama al-Nujaifi and Ayad Allawi | |||
| predecessor2 = ] | |||
| successor2 = Himself | |||
| office3 = ] | |||
| term_start3 = 21 December 2010 | |||
| term_end3 = 8 September 2014 | |||
| primeminister3 = Himself | |||
| predecessor3 = ] | |||
| successor3 = ] | |||
| term_start4 = 20 May 2006 | |||
| term_end4 = 8 June 2006 | |||
| primeminister4 = Himself | |||
| predecessor4 = ] | |||
| successor4 = Jawad al-Bulani | |||
| office5 = ] | |||
| term_start5 = 21 December 2010 | |||
| term_end5 = 17 August 2011 | |||
| primeminister5 = Himself | |||
| predecessor5 = ] | |||
| successor5 = ] | |||
| office6 = Minister of National Security Affairs | |||
| term_start6 = 21 December 2010 | |||
| term_end6 = 8 September 2014 | |||
| primeminister6 = Himself | |||
| predecessor6 = ] | |||
| successor6 = | |||
| office7 = Leader of the ] | |||
| term_start7 = 1 May 2007 | |||
| term_end7 = | |||
| predecessor7 = ] | |||
| successor7 = | |||
| birthname = Nouri Kamil Mohammed Hasan al-Maliki | |||
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|6|20|df=y}} | |||
| birth_place = ], ] | |||
| death_date = | |||
| death_place = | |||
| party = ] | |||
| otherparty = ] | |||
| spouse = Faleeha Khalil | |||
| children = 5 | |||
| alma_mater = Usul al-Din College<br />] (]) | |||
| blank1 = Religion | |||
| data1 = ] | |||
| relations = ] (grandfather) | |||
| native_name = {{nobold|نوري المالكي}} | |||
| native_name_lang = ar | |||
| signature = توقيع نوري المالكي.svg | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''Nouri Kamel Mohammed Hassan al-Maliki''' (]: نوري كامل محمّد حسن المالكي, ] ''Nūrī Kāmil al-Mālikī''; born ], ]), also known as '''Jawad al-Maliki''', is the ] and the secretary-general of the ]. Al-Maliki and ] succeeded the ]. His ] was approved by the ] and sworn in on ], ]. | |||
'''Nouri Kamil Muhammad-Hasan al-Maliki''' ({{langx|ar|نوري كامل محمد حسن المالكي}}; born 20 June 1950), also known as '''Jawad al-Maliki''' ({{lang|ar|جواد المالكي|rtl=yes}}), is an Iraqi politician and leader of the ] since 2007. He served as the ] from 2006 to 2014 and as ] from 2014 to 2015 and again from 2016 to 2018. | |||
As Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki signed the order that led to ]'s execution. | |||
Al-Maliki began his political career as a ] opposed to former Iraqi president ] in the late 1970s, and rose to prominence after he fled a death sentence and went into exile for 24 years. During his time abroad, he became a senior leader of the Islamic Dawa Party, coordinated the activities of anti-Saddam guerrillas, and built relationships with officials from ] and ], seeking their help in overthrowing Saddam's government. Both during and after the ] (2003–2011), al-Maliki worked closely with the ] (MNF–I), and continued to cooperate with the ] following the withdrawal from Iraq. | |||
Al-Maliki's constitutional ] will last until 2010. On ], ], al-Maliki's office announced that he would thenceforth use the first name Nouri instead of his ] Jawad.<ref name="chitrib">{{cite news | |||
Three years after the ], al-Maliki became the country's first post-Saddam full-term prime minister after he was appointed to the position by the MNF–I's leading American authority ]. The ] succeeded the ]; his first cabinet was approved by the ] and formally sworn in on 20 May 2006. His second cabinet, in which he also held the positions of acting Interior Minister, acting Defense Minister, and acting National Security Minister, was approved on 21 December 2010. In the wake of a string of defeats to the ] during their ], American officials said that al-Maliki should give up his premiership.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-signals-1403137521|date=19 June 2014 |publisher=Wall Street Journal|author=JAY SOLOMON and CAROL E. LEE|access-date=13 December 2014|title=U.S. Signals Iraq's Maliki Should Go}}</ref> Two months later, on 14 August 2014, he announced his resignation as prime minister.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/08/maliki-steps-down-as-iraqi-prime-minister-2014814195927824856.html|title=Maliki steps down as Iraqi prime minister |work=Al Jazeera English|date=14 August 2014|access-date=14 August 2014|author=Al Jazeera English}}</ref> During his eight years in power from 2006 to 2014, allegations of corruption were widespread, with hundreds of billions of dollars allegedly vanishing from government coffers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alzalzalee |first=Assad |date=27 September 2021 |title=Iraq's Troubled School Building Lesson |url=https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/iraqs-troubled-school-building-lesson |website=occrp.org}}</ref> He was criticized by American officials<ref>{{Cite web |title=Did You Know...Sectarian Violence in Iraq |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/publications/did-you-knowsectarian-violence-iraq |website=United States Commission on International Religious Freedom|date=10 December 2023 }}</ref> and by local Iraqis for empowering Shia militias, for his close ties with Iranian government/military officials,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Al-Aqeedi |first=Rasha |date=25 July 2022 |title=Leaked Recordings Reveal Toxic Paranoia Within Baghdad Political Class |url=https://newlinesmag.com/spotlight/leaked-recordings-reveal-toxic-paranoia-within-baghdad-political-class/ |access-date=8 September 2023 |website=New Lines Magazine |language=en}}</ref> and for fuelling ] by favouring Shia political/military figures over ] and ] as well as other ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Al-Qarawee |first=Harith Hasan |date=23 April 2014 |title=Iraq's Sectarian Crisis: A Legacy of Exclusion |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/sada/55372 |access-date=8 September 2023 |website=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=In Their Own Words: Sunnis on Their Treatment in Maliki's Iraq |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/in-their-own-words-sunnis-on-their-treatment-in-malikis-iraq/ |access-date=8 September 2023 |website=FRONTLINE |language=en-US}}</ref> In September 2014, al-Maliki was elected as one of three of Iraq's vice presidents, an office he held despite attempts to abolish the post.<ref name="aawsat1">{{cite news|url=http://english.aawsat.com/2015/09/article55344978/iraq-maliki-nujaifi-say-pms-decision-to-cancel-vice-president-posts-unconstitutional|title=Iraq: Maliki, Nujaifi say PM's decision to cancel vice president posts "unconstitutional"|work=Asharq al-Awsat|date=1 September 2015|access-date=11 December 2015|author=Asharq al-Awsat|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222125630/http://english.aawsat.com/2015/09/article55344978/iraq-maliki-nujaifi-say-pms-decision-to-cancel-vice-president-posts-unconstitutional|archive-date=22 December 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
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| author=Associated Press | |||
| url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0604270182apr27,1,7491756.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed | |||
| title=New prime minister resorts to old name | |||
| publisher=] | |||
| page= | |||
| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2006-04-29 | |||
}}</ref> | |||
==Early life== | ==Early life and education== | ||
Nouri al-Maliki was born in the village of Janaja in Abu Gharaq, a central Iraqi town situated between ] and ]. He is a member of the ], an offshoot of the ] tribe.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} He attended school in Al Hindiyah (]). Al-Maliki received his high school degree from Hindiya city and moved to Baghdad with his family. Al-Maliki lived for a time in ], where he worked in the education department. His grandfather, ], was a poet and cleric who was the representative of the Revolutionary Council (Al-Majlis Al-Milli) of the Iraqi revolution against the British in 1920, and was Iraq's Minister of Education under King ].<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070825125016/http://www.iraqigovernment.org/Content/Biography/English/government.htm |date=25 August 2007 }}, iraqigovernment.org</ref> | |||
{{Expand-section|date=August 2008}} | |||
In 1950 Nouri Kamel al-Maliki was born in Abu Gharaq, a central Iraqi town lying between ] and ]. He attended school in Al Hindiyah (]). Al-Maliki received a ] at ] in ], and a ] in ] from ].<ref>{{cite web | author=Cole, Juan| year=1998| title=Saving Iraq: Mission impossible | format= | work=salon.com | url=http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2006/05/11/maliki/index.html | accessdate=2006-06-08}}</ref> Al-Maliki lived for a time in ], where he worked in the education department. He joined the Islamic Dawa Party in the late 1960s while studying at university. | |||
Al-Maliki's grandfather, ], was a poet and cleric who served as Iraq's Minister of Education under King ].<ref>, www.iraqigovernment.org</ref> | |||
==Exile and return to Iraq== | ==Exile and return to Iraq== | ||
] | |||
{{Refimprove|date=July 2007}} | |||
On 16 July 1979, al-Maliki fled Iraq after he was discovered to be a member of the outlawed ]. According to a brief biography on the Islamic Dawa Party's website, he left Iraq via ] in October, and soon moved to ], adopting the pseudonym "Jawad". He left Syria for ] in 1982, where he lived in ] until 1990, before returning to ] where he remained until ].<ref name="islamicdawaparty.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.islamicdawaparty.com/?module=home&fname=leaderdesc.php&id=78|title=Leader Description|publisher=Islamic Dawa Party|access-date=2 December 2011}}</ref> While living in Syria, he worked as a political officer for Dawa, developing close ties with ] and particularly with the ], supporting Iran's effort to topple Saddam's regime.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lebanonwire.com/0604MLN/06042403CSM.asp |title=New Iraqi Leader Seeks Unity |access-date=13 August 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125111553/http://www.lebanonwire.com/0604MLN/06042403CSM.asp |archive-date=25 November 2011 }} ''Christian Science Monitor''</ref> | |||
In 1980, the ] government sentenced al-Maliki to ] for his active role in the Dawa party and thereafter he lived in ], first in ]<ref> ''AP via Yahoo! News'' ] ]</ref> and later in ]. In Syria he headed the party's office, a branch responsible for directing activists and guerrillas fighting Saddam Hussein's regime from outside ]. He was elected chairman of the Joint Action Committee, a ]-based opposition coalition that led to the founding of the ], a ]-backed body of opposition to the Saddam Hussein regime which the ] participated in between 1992 and 1995. Some foreign diplomats, responsible for maintaining links with the Iraqi opposition in Syria before the war, have maintained that al-Maliki was never more than a minor figure in the period before 2003. While in exile al-Maliki adopted the pseudonym "Jawad", which he used until after his return to Iraq. | |||
While living in Damascus, al-Maliki edited the party newspaper ''Al-Mawqif'' and rose to head the party's Damascus branch. In 1990, he joined the Joint Action Committee and served as one of its rotating chairman. The committee was a Damascus-based opposition coalition for a number of Hussein's opponents.<ref name="islamicdawaparty.com"/> The Dawa Party participated in the Iraqi National Congress between 1992 and 1995, withdrawing because of disagreements over who should head it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bostonreview.net/BR28.5/cole.html |title=The Iraqi Shiites |access-date=13 August 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031214140735/http://www.bostonreview.net/BR28.5/cole.html |archive-date=14 December 2003 }} ''Boston Review, Juan Cole''</ref> | |||
Returning home after Saddam's fall, he became the deputy leader of the Supreme National Debaathification Commission of the ], formed to purge former ] officials from the military and government. | |||
Upon his return to his native Iraq after the fall of Saddam in April 2003, al-Maliki became the deputy leader of the Supreme National Debaathification Commission of the ], formed to purge former ] officials from the military and government. He was elected to the transitional ] in January 2005. He was a member of the committee that drafted the new ] that was passed in October 2005. | |||
==Premiership== | |||
==Prime Minister nomination== | |||
{{See also|Al Maliki I Government}} | |||
{{see|Government of Iraq from 2006}} | |||
In the December 2005 parliamentary elections, the ] won the plurality of seats, and nominated ] to be Iraq's first full-term post-war prime minister. However, by April 2006, it became evident that interim Prime Minister al-Jaafari, who was criticized for having led an ineffective and ] government, could win neither ] nor ] support in parliament. In a compromise, al-Jaafari was then removed as the candidate, and on ], ], al-Maliki was named prime minister-designate by ] ]. | |||
=== Selection as prime minister === | |||
Former ], ], has stated that " reputation is as someone who is independent of Iran," and that "He sees himself as an Arab" and an Iraqi nationalist. Khalilzad also maintained that Iran "pressured everyone for Jaafari to stay." Maliki's nomination is seen as a victory for Khalilzad's negotiating efforts. Khalilzad praised Iraqi statesmen, saying "It showed that ] doesn't take Iranian direction. It showed that ] doesn't succumb to Iranian pressure. He stood up to Iran. It showed the same thing about the Kurdish leaders."<ref name="wapo-ign">{{cite news | |||
] in ], 7 April 2009]] | |||
| first=David | |||
In the ], the ] won the plurality of seats, and nominated ] to be Iraq's first full-term post-war prime minister. In April 2006, amid mounting criticism of ineffective leadership and favoritism by ] and ] Arab politicians in parliament, al-Jaafari was forced to resign from power. On 22 April 2006, following close U.S. involvement in the selection of a new prime minister, al-Maliki's name arose from the four that had been interviewed by the ] on their connections to ] (the others including ] and ]).{{Citation needed|date=February 2013}} | |||
| last=Ignatius | |||
| author=David Ignatius | |||
| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/25/AR2006042501650.html | |||
| title=In Iraq's Choice, A Chance For Unity | |||
| publisher=] | |||
| page=A25 | |||
| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2006-04-26 | |||
}}</ref> This interpretation reflects the position of the U.S. Government. On ], ], al-Maliki presented his ] to Parliament, minus permanent ministers of Defense and of Interior. He announced that he would temporarily handle the Interior Ministry himself, and ] would temporarily act as Defense Minister. "We pray to God almighty to give us strength so we can meet the ambitious goals of our people who have suffered a lot," al-Maliki told the members of the assembly.<ref name="cnnMay20">{{cite news | |||
| first= | |||
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| author=CNN | |||
| url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/05/20/iraq.main/index.html | |||
| title=Iraq's new unity government sworn in | |||
| publisher=] | |||
| page= | |||
| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2006-05-20 | |||
}}</ref>Maliki has brought Sunnis into his national unity government.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite news|http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D890900D-A483-4C19-86C8-41F35135090D.htm|title=Iraq prime minister to visit Iran|publisher=]|date=September 9 2006}}</ref> | |||
] ] said that " reputation is as someone who is independent of Iran." Khalilzad also maintained that Iran "pressured everyone for Jaafari to stay".<ref>David Ignatius, {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224060130/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/25/AR2006042501650.html |date=24 December 2016}}, ''The Washington Post'', 26 April 2006.</ref> However, al-Maliki was the preferred candidate of ], the commander of the ], and it was ] who brokered the deal between senior ] and ] leaders that led to his election as prime minister.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Filkins|first1=Dexter|title=The Shadow Commander|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/09/30/the-shadow-commander|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=9 April 2015}}</ref> | |||
==In Office== | |||
] in the ] attending a Press Conference in the White House.]] | |||
=== Formation of Al Maliki I Government === | |||
As Prime Minister, al-Maliki has vowed to crack down on militias which he calls "organized armed groups who are acting outside the state and outside the law." He had been criticized for taking too long to name permanent Interior and Defense ministers, which he did on June 8, 2006, <ref name="cnnJune2">{{cite news | |||
{{see also|Al Maliki I Government|2006 Iraqi government formation}} | |||
| first= | |||
On 20 May 2006, al-Maliki presented his ] to Parliament, minus permanent ministers of Defense and of Interior. He announced that he would temporarily handle the Interior Ministry himself, and ] would temporarily act as Defense Minister. "We pray to God almighty to give us strength so we can meet the ambitious goals of our people who have suffered a lot", al-Maliki told the members of the assembly.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/05/20/iraq.main/index.html|title=Iraq's new unity government sworn in|publisher=CNN|date=20 May 2006|access-date=2 December 2011}}</ref> | |||
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| author=CNN | |||
| url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/02/iraq.main/index.html | |||
| title=Bombs kill 7, wound dozens in Iraq | |||
| publisher=] | |||
| page= | |||
| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2006-06-02 | |||
}}</ref> just as Maliki and the Americans announced the killing of ] leader ]. <ref name="cnnJune8">{{cite news | |||
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| author=CNN | |||
| url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/08/iraq.politics/index.html | |||
| title=Iraq appoints security ministers | |||
| publisher=] | |||
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| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2006-06-08 | |||
}}</ref> | |||
<ref name="apJune8">{{cite news | |||
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| author=Sally Buzbee, Associated Press | |||
| url=http://dwb.newsobserver.com/24hour/world/story/3305063p-12177832c.html | |||
| title=For Iraq's prime minister, a good-news day | |||
| publisher=] | |||
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| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2006-06-08 | |||
}}</ref> | |||
=== June–December 2006 === | |||
Meanwhile, Maliki criticized coalition armed forces as reports of allegedly deliberate killings of Iraqi civilians (at ] and elsewhere) became known. He has been quoted as saying, "his is a phenomenon that has become common among many of the multinational forces. No respect for citizens, smashing civilian cars and killing on a suspicion or a hunch. It's unacceptable." According to Ambassador Khalilzad, Maliki had been misquoted, but it was unclear in what way.<ref name="forbesjune2">{{cite news | |||
During his first term, al-Maliki vowed to crack down on insurgents who he called "organized armed groups who are acting outside the state and outside the law". He had been criticized for taking too long to name permanent interior and defense ministers, which he did on 8 June 2006,<ref name="cnnJune2">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/02/iraq.main/index.html|title=Bombs kill 7, wound dozens in Iraq|publisher=CNN|date=2 June 2006|access-date=2 June 2006}}</ref> just as al-Maliki and the Americans announced the killing of ] leader ].<ref name="cnnJune8">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/08/iraq.politics/index.html|title=Iraq appoints security ministers|publisher=CNN|date=8 June 2006|access-date=8 June 2006}}</ref><ref name="apJune8">{{cite news|author=Sally Buzbee, Associated Press|url=http://dwb.newsobserver.com/24hour/world/story/3305063p-12177832c.html|title=For Iraq's prime minister, a good-news day|publisher=]|date=8 June 2006|access-date=8 June 2006}}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Meanwhile, al-Maliki criticized coalition armed forces as reports of allegedly deliberate killings of Iraqi civilians (at ] and elsewhere) became known. He has been quoted as saying, "his is a phenomenon that has become common among many of the multinational forces. No respect for citizens, smashing civilian cars and killing on a suspicion or a hunch. It's unacceptable." According to Ambassador Khalilzad, al-Maliki had been misquoted, but it was unclear in what way.<ref name="forbesjune2">{{cite news|agency=Associated Press| url=https://www.forbes.com/business/manufacturing/feeds/ap/2006/06/02/ap2790779.html|title=White House Says Iraqi Leader Misquoted| work=]|date=2 June 2006|access-date=2 June 2006|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060830144344/http://www.forbes.com/business/manufacturing/feeds/ap/2006/06/02/ap2790779.html|archive-date=30 August 2006 }}</ref> | |||
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| author=Associated Press | |||
| url=http://www.forbes.com/business/manufacturing/feeds/ap/2006/06/02/ap2790779.html | |||
| title=White House Says Iraqi Leader Misquoted | |||
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| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2006-06-02 | |||
}}</ref> | |||
The international ] wrote to al-Maliki in June 2006, complaining of a "disturbing pattern of restrictions on the press" and of the "imprisonment, intimidation, and censorship of journalists".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cpj.org/protests/06ltrs/mideast/iraq06june06pl.html|title=CPJ Protest Letter|publisher=CPJ|date=6 June 2006|access-date=2 December 2011}}</ref> | |||
On ], ], Maliki signed the death warrant of ] and declined a stay of execution, saying there would be “no review or delay” in the event. Citing the wishes of relatives of Hussein's victims, he said, “Our respect for human rights requires us to execute him.” Hussein's execution was carried out on ], ] (notably, the first ] day of the feast of ]). | |||
His relationship with the press was often contentious. On 24 August 2006, for example, he banned television channels from broadcasting images of bloodshed in the country and warned of legal action against those violating the order. Major General Rashid Flayah, head of a national police division added "...We are building the country with Kalashnikovs and you should help in building it with the use of your pen".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/zones/sundaytimesNEW/basket7st/basket7st1156426205.aspx |title=Iraq PM bans TV from showing attacks |access-date=25 August 2006 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021044116/http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/zones/sundaytimesNEW/basket7st/basket7st1156426205.aspx |archive-date=21 October 2006 }}, '']'', 24 August 2006</ref> | |||
===Response to the Blackwater Baghdad shootings=== | |||
Early in his term, al-Maliki was criticized by some for alleged reluctance to tackle Shiite militias. In October 2006, he complained about an American raid against a Shiite militia leader because he said it had been conducted without his approval.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1550694,00.html?cnn=yes|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070512234813/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1550694,00.html?cnn=yes|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 May 2007|magazine=Time|title=Doubts Grow Over Iraq's Prime Minister|date=25 October 2006|access-date=20 May 2010}}</ref> | |||
After the ] involving the private security contractor ] and an unknown number of Iraqi civilians, Prime Minister Maliki said that the incident had generated such "widespread anger and hatred" that it would be "in everyone's interest if the embassy used another company while the company is suspended." <ref> {{cite news | |||
Al-Maliki's job was complicated by the balance of power within parliament, with his position relying on the support of two Shiite blocs, that of ] and the ] of ], that his Dawa party has often been at odds with.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/20/world/middleeast/21iraqcnd.html |title=Attack on Iraqi City Shows Militia's Power |work=The New York Times|date=20 October 2006 |first=Kirk|last=Semple|access-date=20 May 2010}}</ref> Progress was also frequently blocked by Sunni Arab politicians who alleged that the dominant Shiite parties were pursuing sectarian advantage.{{Clarify|date=December 2014}} Al-Maliki had some success in finding compromise.{{Clarify|date=December 2014}} | |||
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| author=Wire Reports | |||
| url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-09-19-blackwater-almaliki_N.htm?csp=34 | |||
| title=Iraqi leader suggests U.S. Embassy cut ties with Blackwater | |||
| publisher=] | |||
| page= | |||
| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2007-10-07 | |||
}}</ref> | |||
On 30 December 2006, al-Maliki signed the death warrant of ] and declined a stay of execution, saying there would be "no review or delay" in the event. Citing the wishes of relatives of Hussein's victims, he said, "Our respect for human rights requires us to execute him."<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011080437/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-2523732,00.html |date=11 October 2008 }} by Times Online</ref> Hussein's execution was carried out on 30 December 2006 (notably, the first ] day of the feast of ]). | |||
===Official visits=== | |||
On ], ], ] ] paid a visit to ] to meet with Maliki and ] ], as a token of support for the new government. <ref name="abramowitz">{{cite news | |||
| author=Abramowitz, Michael | |||
| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/13/AR2006061300432.html | |||
| title=Bush Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq | |||
| publisher=The Washington Post | |||
| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2006-06-13 | |||
}}</ref> On ], al-Maliki presented a national reconciliation plan to the Iraqi parliament. The peace plan sets out to remove powerful militias from the streets, open a dialogue with rebels, and review the status of purged members of the once-ruling Ba'ath party. Some viewed this as a bold step towards rebuilding Iraq and reaching out to ]. <ref name="reconciliationplan">{{cite news | |||
| author= | |||
| url=http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/06/25/10049368.html | |||
| title=Al Maliki's Reconciliation Plan Ready | |||
| publisher=Gulfnews | |||
| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2006-06-25 | |||
}}</ref> | |||
By July 2006, when al-Maliki visited the United States, violence had continued and even escalated, leading many to conclude that the reconciliation plan was not working or was moving too slow. | |||
On ], ], al-Maliki addressed a joint meeting of the ].<ref name="USCongress">{{cite news | |||
| author= | |||
| url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/07/26/congress.iraq/index.html | |||
| title=Iraqi PM to Congress: Baghdad wants to be regional stabilizer | |||
| publisher=CNN | |||
| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2006-06-26 | |||
}}</ref> | |||
. Several New York Democrats boycotted the speech after Al-Maliki condemned ]'s ] on ]. ], the DNC chairman, accused Al-Maliki of being an "anti-Semite" and said the ] shouldn't spend so much on Iraq and then hand it over to people like Maliki. <ref>{{cite news | |||
| author=Trish Turner and Molly Hooper | |||
| url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,205819,00.html | |||
| title=Dean Calls Iraqi Prime Minister Anti-Semite, Criticizes Bush For U.S. Visit | |||
| publisher=FOXNews.com | |||
| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2006-11-26 | |||
}}</ref> | |||
=== January 2007 – end 2009 === | |||
On ] ], Al-Maliki made his first official visit to neighbouring ] ], whose alleged influence on Iraq is a matter of concern for ]. He conspicuously chose ] Persian Gulf Arab states for his first foreign trip. He discussed with Iranian officials, including president ], the "principle of no interference in internal affairs" during his visit on ] ] and ] ], i.e. political and security issues. The announcement of his visit followed a dispute between the two countries in which Iranian border guards in the week from ] ] detained Iraqi guards after accusing them of crossing into Iran. Ibrahim Shaker, Iraqi defence ministry spokesman, told the Iraqi patrol, five soldiers, one officer and one translator, had simply been doing "their duty".<ref name=autogenerated2 /> | |||
], right, Baghdad, 30 June 2009.]] | |||
On 2 January 2007, the '']'' published an interview with al-Maliki in which he said he wished he could end his term before it expires in 2009.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6226953.stm|publisher=BBC|title=Iraq's PM longs to leave office|date=3 January 2007|access-date=20 May 2010}}</ref> | |||
On ], ], Prime Minister Maliki made an official visit to ], ], to meet with Iranian President ] and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah ] – a rare honor for a visiting dignitary. Prime Minister Maliki called the Islamic Republic of Iran “a good friend and brother.” Such a statement runs counter to Bush’s policy of isolating Iran from the international community by focusing exclusively on Tehran’s uranium enrichment. At the same time it illustrates that the regimes deriving legitimacy from different versions of democracy in the Middle East can be warm friends. | |||
In 2007, unnamed U.S. military officers alleged al-Maliki was replacing Iraqi commanders who had cracked down on Shiite militias with party loyalists. An al-Maliki spokesman denied the allegation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/01/iraq.office/index.html|publisher=CNN|title=Shadowy Iraq office accused of sectarian agenda|access-date=20 May 2010}}</ref> | |||
The Bush administration's unrelenting pressure on the Iraqi government resulted in the collapse of the proposed Baghdad-Tehran defense cooperation pact. <ref>{{cite news | |||
| author=YaleGlobal | |||
| url=http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=8172 | |||
| title=Iran Befriends Iraq | |||
| publisher=YaleGlobal | |||
| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2007-10-08 | |||
}}</ref> | |||
In May 2007, the ] removed Jaafari and elected al-Maliki as Secretary-General of the Dawa Party.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811124951/http://www.juancole.com/2007/05/137-killed-by-guerrillas-us-to-talk-to.html |date=11 August 2016}}, '']'', 14 May 2007</ref> | |||
===Governmental prospects=== | |||
The stability of Maliki’s government depends on a tenuous peace between ], who controls one of the largest voting blocs in parliament, and ], who leads the ] and the country’s largest Shi'a party, the ]. A generations-long feud between their families has carried over into a personal and political rivalry between the men, and their militias have periodically clashed.<ref>{{cite news|http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/20/world/middleeast/21iraqcnd.html?ex=1318996800&en=a542d37a1dff56f9&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss|title=Attack on Iraqi City Shows Militia’s Power |publisher=]|date=October 20 2006}}</ref> | |||
In July 2008, al-Maliki, who earlier in the year fought off a recall effort in parliament, convinced Sunni politicians to end a year-long boycott{{Clarify|date=December 2014}} <small>]?]</small> of the chamber and appointed some of them to cabinet positions. Analysts said the return of the Sunnis was made possible by the security gains under al-Maliki and by apparent progress in negotiations with the United States over American military withdrawal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-jul-20-fg-iraq20-story.html |title=Sunni bloc returns to Iraq Cabinet|work=Los Angeles Times|date=20 July 2008|access-date=12 December 2011|first1=Alexandra|last1=Zavis|first2=Raheem|last2=Salman}}</ref> | |||
In October 2006, doubts grew concerning Maliki's willingness or ability to defeat Shi'a militias. Maliki criticized an American-led raid that targeted a militia leader because, he asserted, it had been conducted without his government's approval. <ref></ref> In 2007, sources inside the Iraqi and American militaries indicated that Maliki's "Office of the Commander-in-Chief" within his government was pushing a Shiite agenda and overruling government ministers. <ref></ref> | |||
By late 2008, al-Maliki started to stop transparency efforts by firing inspector generals.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/world/middleeast/18maliki.html?%3D%26_r%3D0 |title=Premier of Iraq is Quietly Firing Fraud Monitors |website=] |date=17 November 2008 |access-date=6 September 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225103832/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/world/middleeast/18maliki.html?=&_r=0 |archive-date=25 February 2015 |last1=Glanz |first1=James }}</ref> He also started using sections of the armed forces against his political rivals.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/world/africa/20iht-20iraq.15446434.html?_r%3D0 |title=Iraqi government raid threatens to inflame province's tensions |website=] |date=20 August 2008 |access-date=6 September 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907035610/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/world/africa/20iht-20iraq.15446434.html?_r=0 |archive-date=7 September 2014 |last1=Robertson |first1=Campbell }}</ref> | |||
On January 2, 2007, the '']'' published an interview with Maliki in which he said that he hadn't wanted to become Prime Minister of Iraq and that he had only accepted the position out of a sense of duty. He also stated that he wished he could end his term before it expires in 2009. <ref></ref> | |||
By October–November 2008, the al-Malki government had witnessed improvements in the security situation in many parts of the country. In Baghdad, a peace deal signed between ]'s ] and the government had eased tensions, though sporadic sectarian incidents continued, as did occasional fighting between U.S. forces and Shiite militiamen, particularly in ].<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051806/http://www.island.lk/2008/10/11/world3.html |date=4 March 2016}}, Associated Press (October–November 2008.)</ref> | |||
On ], ], Maliki selected Lieutenant General ] as the Iraqi commander for the capital of ], Iraq. | |||
Maliki in May 2009 talked about the need to make a secure and sustainable environment for investment in order for successful reconstruction and has enacted new investment laws to try to achieve this. He also acknowledged Iraq's unfortunate reliance on oil to finance reconstruction thus far, although the revenue began to be spent on other possible revenue sources including agriculture and energy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thediplomat.com/2009/05/07/nouri-al-maliki-interview/|title=Nouri al-Maliki Interview|publisher=The Diplomat|date=7 May 2009|access-date=2 December 2011}}</ref> | |||
In May 2007 he was elected secretary general of the Dawa Party, succeeding Jaafari. <ref>, '']'', ]</ref> But his government was increasingly weakened, in particular after the withdrawal of the ], the main ] bloc, from his coalition on August 1, 2007 <ref>] bloc quits coalition], '']'', ] </ref><ref>, '']'', 2 August 2007 </ref>. | |||
=== Al Maliki II Government, 2010–2014 === | |||
On 26 June 2008 the head of the Iraqi Accordance Front announced that the block will return to the government "soon". | |||
{{Main|Al Maliki II Government}} | |||
<ref></ref> | |||
{{See also|2010 Iraqi government formation|2010 Iraqi parliamentary election|History of Iraq (2003–2011)}} | |||
On 22 December 2010, al-Maliki's second government, including all main blocs in the new parliament, was unanimously approved by parliament, 9 months after the ]. On 5 February 2011, a spokesperson for al-Maliki said he would not run for a third term in 2014, limiting himself in the name of democracy, in a nod to the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://apnews.myway.com//article/20110205/D9L6OJH80.html|title=Eye on unrest, Iraq PM says he won't seek 3rd term|agency=Associated Press|date=5 February 2011|access-date=2 December 2011|archive-date=10 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310224908/http://apnews.myway.com//article/20110205/D9L6OJH80.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
===Censorship=== | |||
On ], ], he banned television channels from broadcasting images of daily bloodshed in the country and warned of legal action against those violating the order. Major General ], head of a national police division added "...We are building the country with ] and you should help in building it with the use of your pen". <ref> , '']'', ] </ref> | |||
On 19 December 2011, the Vice President of Iraq, ], was accused of orchestrating bombing attacks and a hit squad killing Shiite politicians, and his arrest was warranted. This led to his Sunni/Shia ] party (with 91 seats the largest party in parliament) boycotting parliament, which lasted until late January 2012. Hashemi was in September 2012 ''in absentia'' sentenced to death but had already fled to Turkey, which declared it will not extradite him to Iraq. This affair fueled Sunni Muslim and Kurdish resentment against Maliki who critics said was monopolizing power.<ref name=aljaz1012t>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/09/201291085639667993.html |title=Iraq vice-president rejects death sentence|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=10 September 2012|access-date=1 January 2014}}</ref> | |||
===Response to US critics=== | |||
Al-Maliki lead Iraq through an increase in anti-Sunni violence, including the bloody crack-down on the ], which has been interpreted as leading to the rise of ISIS.<ref>https://publications.armywarcollege.edu/pubs/3668.pdf, page 36</ref> The military under the al-Maliki administration was known for its corruption and was plagued with ], a corruption scheme with soldiers names on the pay rolls but not actually in service.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=50,000 Iraqi 'Ghost Soldiers' Make $380 Million a Year|url=https://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2014/12/01/Iraqi-Corruption-50000-Ghost-Soldiers-Make-380-Million-Year|access-date=20 August 2021|website=The Fiscal Times|language=en}}</ref> When ISIS increased its activity in the first part of the ], Maliki led Iraq through major defeats, including the ] which saw the catastrophic collapse of the Iraqi army in that region and the ], where an army of 1,500 ISIS militants won over 60,000 Iraqi soldiers. | |||
] and ] were two of several US politicians who called for him to be removed from office but he hit back and said the ] ] saying that they were acting as if Iraq was "their property" and that they should "come to their senses" and "respect democracy".<ref></ref> | |||
A former commander of the Iraqi ground forces, Ali Ghaidan, accused al-Maliki of being the one who issued the order to withdraw from the city of Mosul.<ref>{{Cite web|title=قائد عسكري سابق: المالكي أمر بسحب القوات من الموصل|url=https://www.aljazeera.net/news/arabic/2015/6/20/قائد-عسكري-سابق-المالكي-أمر-بسحب|access-date=8 February 2022|website=www.aljazeera.net|language=ar}}</ref> By late June, the Iraqi government had lost control of its borders with both ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|date=23 June 2014|title=Sunni militants 'seize Iraq's western border crossings'|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-27966774|publisher=BBC}}</ref> al-Maliki called for a national ] on 10 June following the attack on Mosul, which had been seized overnight. However, despite the security crisis, ] did not allow Maliki to declare a state of emergency; many ] ] and ] legislators boycotted the session because they opposed expanding the prime minister's powers.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web|title=Obama's Iraq dilemma: Fighting ISIL puts US and Iran on the same side|url=http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/6/13/obamaa-s-iraq-dilemmafightingisilputsusandiranonthesameside.html}}</ref> | |||
In August 2007, ] reported that the firm of Barbour, Griffith & Rogers had "begun a public campaign to undermine the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki." The network described BGR as a "powerhouse Republican lobbying firm with close ties to the White House."<ref name=autogenerated1></ref> CNN also mentioned that ] is both al-Maliki's rival and BGR's client, although it did not assert that Allawi had hired BGR to undermine al-Maliki.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> | |||
By August 2014 al-Maliki was still holding on to power tenaciously despite Iraq's president ] nominating ] to take over. Al-Maliki referred the matter to the federal court claiming the president's nomination was a "constitutional violation". He said: "The insistence on this until the end is to protect the state."<ref name="NewPM">{{cite news|date=13 August 2014|title=Iraq's Incumbent PM Nouri Al-Maliki Grows More Isolated As He Clings To Power|work=Huffington Post|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/12/iraq-maliki-isolated_n_5671154.html|access-date=14 August 2014}}</ref> On 14 August 2014, however, in the face of growing calls from world leaders and members of his own party the embattled prime minister Al-Maliki announced he was stepping down.<ref name="BBC News 2014">{{Cite web|date=15 August 2014|title=Iraq crisis: Maliki quits as PM to end deadlock|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28798033|access-date=2 November 2021|website=BBC News}}</ref> | |||
===Quotations=== | |||
* "I consider myself a friend of the U.S., but I'm not America's man in Iraq."<ref name="cnnOct28">{{cite news | |||
==Sunni friction== | |||
| first= | |||
Maliki's critics assert that he did his utmost to limit the power of both Kurds and Sunnis between 2006 and 2014. Their view is that Maliki worked to further centralise governance and amass greater controls and power—from militarily to legislative—for his party. Instead of strengthening and securing Iraq, Maliki's actions have led to a rise in both ] and Sunni insurgency, which has resulted in civil war and the effective failure of the Iraqi state.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Autonomy Impaired: Centralisation, Authoritarianism and the Failing Iraqi State|journal = Ethnopolitics|date = 18 September 2015|issn = 1744-9057|pages = 315–332|issue = 4|doi = 10.1080/17449057.2015.1086126|first = Dylan|last = O'Driscoll|volume = 16|s2cid = 145052846}}</ref> | |||
| last= | |||
| author=CNN | |||
The reign of al-Maliki has been described as sectarian by both Sunni Iraqis and western analysts; something which helped fuel a Sunni uprising in the country in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9287832/defeat-isis-yes-we-can/|title=Another Iraq war is coming – the only question is whether we want to win|work=The Spectator}}</ref> During the ], beginning in June 2014, ] vowed to take power away from al-Maliki, who called upon Kurdish forces to help keep Iraq out of the hands of ISIS, as well as air support from American ] in order to eliminate dangerous jihadist elements in the country, which was refused by the United States, as "administration spokesmen have insisted that the United States is not actively considering using warplanes or armed drones to strike ." | |||
| url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/10/28/iraq.main/index.html | |||
| title=Iraqi prime minister: 'I'm not America's man' | |||
The announcement of al-Maliki's resignation on 14 August 2014 and the leadership transition to Haider al-Abadi caused a major realignment of Sunni Arab public opinion away from armed opposition groups and to the Iraqi government, since many Iraqi Sunni Arabs were optimistic that the new government would address their grievances and deliver more public goods and services to them than the government led by al-Maliki.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Mikulaschek|first1=Christoph|last2=Pant|first2=Saurabh|last3=Tesfaye|first3=Beza|date=3 June 2020|title=Winning Hearts and Minds in Civil Wars: Governance, Leadership Change, and Support for Violent Groups in Iraq|journal=American Journal of Political Science|volume=64|issue=4|pages=773–790|doi=10.1111/ajps.12527|doi-access=free}}</ref> | |||
| publisher=] | |||
| page= | |||
==Relationship with the U.S.== | |||
| date=], ] | |||
{{See also|Iraq–United States relations}} | |||
| accessdate=2006-11-27 | |||
] and al-Maliki shake hands during ].]] | |||
}}</ref> | |||
In an interview published by the German magazine {{Lang|de|]}} in June 2008, al-Maliki said that a schedule for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country of "about 16 months ... would be the right time-frame for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes". In the interview, he said the U.S. government has been reluctant to agree to a timetable "because they feel it would appear tantamount to an admission of defeat. But that isn't the case at all ... it is not evidence of a defeat, but of a victory, of a severe blow we have inflicted on ] and the militias." He said U.S. negotiators were coming around to his point of view.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,566852,00.html|title=Special Interview with Iraqi Leader Nouri al-Maliki |work=Der Spiegel|date=19 July 2008|access-date=2 December 2011}}</ref> | |||
* "I wish I could be done with it even before the end of this term. I didn't want to take this position. I only agreed because I thought it would serve the national interest, and I will not accept it again." <ref name="bbcJan3">{{cite news | |||
| first = | |||
] and ] were two of several U.S. politicians who called for him to be removed from office in 2007. Senator Clinton urged Iraq's parliament to select a "less divisive and more unifying figure" and implied she felt al-Maliki was too concerned about Iraq's Shiite majority and not enough with national reconciliation. "During his trip to Iraq last week, Senator Levin ... confirmed that the Iraqi government is nonfunctional and cannot produce a political settlement because it is too beholden to religious and sectarian leaders", she said.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna20406226|title=Clinton urges ouster of Iraq's Al-Maliki|work=NBC News|date=23 August 2007|access-date=2 December 2011}}</ref> | |||
| last = | |||
| author = AP | |||
Al-Maliki hit back and said the ] ] were acting as if Iraq were "their property" and that they should "come to their senses" and "respect democracy".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6964677.stm|work=BBC News|title=Maliki returns fire at U.S. critics| date=26 August 2007|access-date=20 May 2010}}</ref> After 17 Iraqis were shot and killed by ] security guards al-Maliki called on the U.S. embassy to stop working with the company and said: "What happened was a crime. It has left a deep grudge and anger, both inside the government and among the Iraqi people."<ref>{{cite news|author=Wire Reports|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-09-19-blackwater-almaliki_N.htm?csp=34|title=Iraqi leader suggests U.S. Embassy cut ties with Blackwater|work=]|date=20 September 2007|access-date=7 October 2007}}</ref> | |||
| url = http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/21/na-lights-go-out-on-al-malikis-attempt-to-boost-mo/?news-nationworld | |||
| title=Iraq's PM longs to leave office | |||
Maliki's friendly gestures towards Iran have sometimes created tension between his government and the United States but he has also been willing to consider steps opposed by Tehran, particularly while carrying out negotiations with the United States on a joint-security pact. A June 2008 news report noted that al-Maliki's visit to Tehran seemed to be "aimed at getting Iran to tone down its opposition and ease criticism within Iraq". Al-Maliki said an agreement reached with the U.S. won't preclude good relations with neighbors like Iran.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/08/africa/ME-GEN-Iran-Iraq-US.php|title=al-Maliki Assures Tehran that U.S.-Iraq security pact will not harm Iran|work=International Herald Tribune|date=29 March 2009|access-date=2 December 2011|archive-date=8 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081008023135/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/08/africa/ME-GEN-Iran-Iraq-US.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
| publisher=] | |||
| page= | |||
In August 2007, ] reported that the firm of Barbour, Griffith & Rogers had "begun a public campaign to undermine the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki". The network described BGR as a "powerhouse Republican ] firm with close ties to the White House".<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news|url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/08/23/major-republican-firm-lobbying-to-undermine-maliki/|title=Major Republican Firm Lobbying To Undermine Maliki|work=CNN|date=23 August 2007|access-date=2 December 2011|archive-date=8 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908073252/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/08/23/major-republican-firm-lobbying-to-undermine-maliki/|url-status=dead}}</ref> CNN also mentioned that ] is both al-Maliki's rival and BGR's client, although it did not assert that Allawi had hired BGR to undermine al-Maliki.<ref name=autogenerated1/> | |||
| date=], ] | |||
| accessdate=2008-03-24 | |||
In late 2014, Vice President Al-Maliki accused the United States of using ] as a pretext to maintain its military presence in Iraq. He stated that "the Americans began this sedition in Syria and then expanded its dimensions into Iraq and it seems that they intend to further stretch this problem to other countries in their future plans."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13930822000553|title=Farsnews|work=farsnews.ir}}</ref> | |||
}}</ref> | |||
* "As Iraq has triumphed over terrorism, it will triumph in the international arena." <ref name="cnnOct28" /> | |||
==Official visits== | |||
* " We did not provide any sanctuary or opportunity for any outlaws, whether they were followers of the Mehdi Army or Muqtada al-Sadr or the Islamic Council or even of the Dawa party. This is the truth all Iraqis know and are proud of -- we deal with all outlaws equally...I would be very easy with any decision that goes through the democratic framework and will be very tough if anything is being tried outside the democratic framework." "<ref name="CNNAPR7"> {{cite news | |||
] at the ], 30 April 2009.]] | |||
| first= | |||
On 13 June 2006, ] ] paid a visit to ] to meet with al-Maliki and ] ], as a token of support for the new government.<ref name="abramowitz">{{cite news|author=Abramowitz, Michael|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/13/AR2006061300432.html|title=Bush Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=13 June 2006|access-date=13 June 2006}}</ref> During this visit, they announced the Iraqi Leaders Initiative, in which students from Iraq would go to the United States to build a personal connection between the two countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/07/20060725.html# |title=President Bush and Prime Minister Maliki of Iraq Participate in Press Availability |publisher=Georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov }}</ref> On 25 June, al-Maliki presented a national reconciliation plan to the Iraqi parliament. The peace plan sets out to remove powerful militias from the streets, open a dialogue with rebels, and review the status of purged members of the once dominant Ba'ath party. Some viewed this as a bold step towards rebuilding Iraq and reaching out to Sunnis.<ref name="reconciliationplan">{{cite news|url=http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/06/25/10049368.html|title=Al al-Maliki's Reconciliation Plan Ready|work=Gulf News|date=25 June 2006|access-date=25 June 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929132908/http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/06/25/10049368.html|archive-date=29 September 2007}}</ref> | |||
| last= | |||
] | |||
| author=CNN | |||
| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/04/07/al.maliki.transcript/ | |||
By July 2006, when al-Maliki visited the United States, violence had continued and even escalated, leading many to conclude that the reconciliation plan was not working or was moving too slowly. On 26 July 2006, al-Maliki addressed a joint meeting of the ].<ref name="USCongress">{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/07/26/congress.iraq/index.html|title=Iraqi PM to Congress: Baghdad wants to be regional stabilizer| publisher=CNN|date=26 June 2006|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060921182009/http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/07/26/congress.iraq/index.html|archive-date=21 September 2006}}</ref> Several New York Democrats boycotted the speech after Al-Maliki condemned Israel's ] on ]. ], the DNC chairman, accused Al-Maliki of being an "anti-Semite" and said the United States shouldn't spend so much on Iraq and then hand it over to people like al-Maliki.<ref>{{cite news| author=Trish Turner and Molly Hooper|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,205819,00.html|title=Dean Calls Iraqi Prime Minister Anti-Semite, Criticizes Bush For U.S. Visit|publisher=Fox News Channel|date=26 July 2006|access-date=26 November 2006}}</ref> | |||
| title=Transcript: Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Iraq | |||
| publisher=] | |||
In September 2006, Al-Maliki made his first official visit to neighbouring ], whose alleged influence on Iraq is a matter of concern for Washington, D.C. He discussed with Iranian officials, including president ], the "principle of no interference in internal affairs" during his visit on 11 and 12 September 2006, i.e., political and security issues. His visit closely followed an incident in which Iran detained Iraqi soldiers it accused of having illegally crossed the border.<ref name="Iraq PM will visit Iran Monday">{{cite web|url=http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/10400|title=Iraq PM will visit Iran Monday|publisher=Iraq updates|date=9 September 2006|access-date=2 December 2011}}</ref> | |||
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Ibrahim Shaker, Iraqi defence ministry spokesman, said the five soldiers, one officer and one translator involved had simply been doing "their duty".<ref name="Iraq PM will visit Iran Monday"/> During his visit al-Maliki called the Islamic Republic of Iran "a good friend and brother". A press conference given by al-Maliki and U.S. President George Bush on 14 December 2008, was disrupted when Iraqi journalist ] ] at Bush.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/12/20081215144834440817.html|title=Iraqis demand shoe-thrower be freed |publisher=Al Jazeera|date=19 February 2009|access-date=2 December 2011}}</ref> | |||
| accessdate=2008-04-07 | |||
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==Later duties== | |||
On 26 January 2013 al-Maliki's opponents passed a law<ref name="wordpress1">{{cite web|author=H Al Researcher |url=http://especialview.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/al-maliki-does-not-get-a-third-term-in-iraq-so-what/ |title=Al-Maliki Does Not Get a Third Term in Iraq, so what? | eSPecial View |publisher=Especialview.wordpress.com |date=11 February 2013}}</ref> which prohibited al-Maliki from running for a third term but an Iraqi court later rejected it.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/iraq-court-rejects-law-that-would-impose-term-limits-on-prime-minister/#ixzz2fcN4AJJ2 |title=Iraq court rejects law that would impose term limits on prime minister |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=27 August 2013}}</ref> | |||
By August 2014, al-Maliki lost all his chances to win a third term in office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2014/08/13/maliki-iraqs-lonely-leader/|title=How Iraq's Leader Lost Everything|author=Riyadh Mohammed|date=13 August 2014|work=Mashable}}</ref> | |||
On 8 September 2014, during approval of the new government led by ], al-Maliki was named one of the three vice presidents, a prestigious albeit largely ceremonial post.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/08/world/meast/iraq-government/|title=Iraqi lawmakers approve new government; al-Maliki becomes VP|author=Jomana Karadsheh|date=9 September 2014|work=CNN}}</ref> | |||
On 11 August 2015, the Parliament approved a reform package by Prime Minister al-Abadi that foresaw, among other measures, the elimination of the three vice president posts.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33861080|title=Iraq reforms: Parliament backs PM Haider al-Abadi's plan|date=11 August 2015|work=BBC}}</ref> However, following a lawsuit opened by fellow Vice President ], al-Maliki declared in September 2015 that he was still holding his office because the removal of the post was not in line with the Iraqi Constitution.<ref name="aawsat1"/> ] filed a complaint against the decision in November 2015, considering it to be against the Constitution.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-vice-president-files-court-case-keep-post-521531666| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151118154559/http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-vice-president-files-court-case-keep-post-521531666| archive-date = 18 November 2015| title = Iraq vice president files court case to keep his post {{!}} Middle East Eye}}</ref> On 10 October 2016, the three posts of Vice Presidents were restored by the ] which termed their abolition as unconstitutional.<ref name=restored>{{cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-10/11/c_135744075.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011170848/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-10/11/c_135744075.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 October 2016|title=Iraqi court nullifies Abadi's earlier decision to sack 3 vice president posts|publisher=Xinhua|date=11 October 2016}}</ref> | |||
==Personal life== | |||
Al-Maliki is married to Faleeha Khalil, with whom he has four daughters and one son. His son Ahmed was head of Al-Maliki's security, and two of his sons-in-law also worked in his office.<ref> BBC. 12 August 2014. from the original 19 February 2015</ref> | |||
On 26 April 2006, al-Maliki stopped using the pseudonym Jawad which he had used since moving to Syria in the early 1980s.<ref name="chitrib">{{cite news|agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0604270182apr27,1,7491756.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed |title=New prime minister resorts to old name |work=Chicago Tribune |date=27 April 2006 |access-date=29 April 2006 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> However, the pseudo- or code name ('']'') "Abu Esraa" (father of Esraa – his eldest daughter) is still occasionally heard on Iraqi satellite media, because it is very common in Arab culture (and in Iraqi culture in particular) to call someone by his eldest child's name, especially among his close friends and followers. | |||
==See also== | |||
{{Portal|Iraq|Biography|Politics|Shia Islam}} | |||
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*{{cite journal|title=Construction et déconstruction du pouvoir politique en Irak. Le cas de Nouri al-Maliki|author=Hosham Dawod|journal=Les Carnets de l'IFPO|access-date=5 October 2012|date =5 October 2012|doi=10.58079/pvtw |url=http://ifpo.hypotheses.org/4302}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 10:15, 14 December 2024
Prime Minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014
Nouri al-Maliki | |
---|---|
نوري المالكي | |
Al-Maliki in 2018 | |
Prime Minister of Iraq | |
In office 20 May 2006 – 8 September 2014 | |
President | Jalal Talabani Fuad Masum |
Deputy | See list |
Preceded by | Ibrahim al-Jaafari |
Succeeded by | Haider al-Abadi |
Vice President of Iraq | |
In office 10 October 2016 – 2 October 2018Serving with Osama al-Nujaifi and Ayad Allawi | |
President | Fuad Masum |
Preceded by | Himself |
Succeeded by | Vacant |
In office 9 September 2014 – 11 August 2015Serving with Osama al-Nujaifi and Ayad Allawi | |
President | Fuad Masum |
Preceded by | Khodair al-Khozaei |
Succeeded by | Himself |
Minister of the Interior | |
In office 21 December 2010 – 8 September 2014 | |
Prime Minister | Himself |
Preceded by | Jawad al-Bulani |
Succeeded by | Mohammed Al-Ghabban |
In office 20 May 2006 – 8 June 2006 | |
Prime Minister | Himself |
Preceded by | Baqir Jabr al-Zubeidi |
Succeeded by | Jawad al-Bulani |
Minister of Defence | |
In office 21 December 2010 – 17 August 2011 | |
Prime Minister | Himself |
Preceded by | Qadir Obeidi |
Succeeded by | Saadoun al-Dulaimi |
Minister of National Security Affairs | |
In office 21 December 2010 – 8 September 2014 | |
Prime Minister | Himself |
Preceded by | Shirwan al-Waili |
Leader of the Islamic Dawa Party | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 1 May 2007 | |
Preceded by | Ibrahim al-Jaafari |
Personal details | |
Born | Nouri Kamil Mohammed Hasan al-Maliki (1950-06-20) 20 June 1950 (age 74) Al-Hindiya, Kingdom of Iraq |
Political party | Islamic Dawa |
Other political affiliations | State of Law Coalition |
Spouse | Faleeha Khalil |
Relations | Muhammad Hasan Abi al-Mahasin (grandfather) |
Children | 5 |
Alma mater | Usul al-Din College University of Salahaddin (MA) |
Religion | Shia Islam |
Signature | |
Nouri Kamil Muhammad-Hasan al-Maliki (Arabic: نوري كامل محمد حسن المالكي; born 20 June 1950), also known as Jawad al-Maliki (جواد المالكي), is an Iraqi politician and leader of the Islamic Dawa Party since 2007. He served as the Prime Minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014 and as Vice President from 2014 to 2015 and again from 2016 to 2018.
Al-Maliki began his political career as a Shia dissident opposed to former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in the late 1970s, and rose to prominence after he fled a death sentence and went into exile for 24 years. During his time abroad, he became a senior leader of the Islamic Dawa Party, coordinated the activities of anti-Saddam guerrillas, and built relationships with officials from Iran and Syria, seeking their help in overthrowing Saddam's government. Both during and after the American-led occupation of Iraq (2003–2011), al-Maliki worked closely with the Multi-National Force (MNF–I), and continued to cooperate with the United States following the withdrawal from Iraq.
Three years after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, al-Maliki became the country's first post-Saddam full-term prime minister after he was appointed to the position by the MNF–I's leading American authority Michael Douglas Barbero. The first-term al-Maliki administration succeeded the Iraqi Transitional Government; his first cabinet was approved by the Iraqi National Assembly and formally sworn in on 20 May 2006. His second cabinet, in which he also held the positions of acting Interior Minister, acting Defense Minister, and acting National Security Minister, was approved on 21 December 2010. In the wake of a string of defeats to the Islamic State during their Northern Iraq offensive, American officials said that al-Maliki should give up his premiership. Two months later, on 14 August 2014, he announced his resignation as prime minister. During his eight years in power from 2006 to 2014, allegations of corruption were widespread, with hundreds of billions of dollars allegedly vanishing from government coffers. He was criticized by American officials and by local Iraqis for empowering Shia militias, for his close ties with Iranian government/military officials, and for fuelling Iraqi sectarian violence by favouring Shia political/military figures over Kurds and Sunni Arabs as well as other non-Shia minorities. In September 2014, al-Maliki was elected as one of three of Iraq's vice presidents, an office he held despite attempts to abolish the post.
Early life and education
Nouri al-Maliki was born in the village of Janaja in Abu Gharaq, a central Iraqi town situated between Karbala and Al Hillah. He is a member of the Al-Ali Tribe, an offshoot of the Bani Malik tribe. He attended school in Al Hindiyah (Hindiya). Al-Maliki received his high school degree from Hindiya city and moved to Baghdad with his family. Al-Maliki lived for a time in Al Hillah, where he worked in the education department. His grandfather, Muhammad Hasan Abi al-Mahasin, was a poet and cleric who was the representative of the Revolutionary Council (Al-Majlis Al-Milli) of the Iraqi revolution against the British in 1920, and was Iraq's Minister of Education under King Faisal I.
Exile and return to Iraq
On 16 July 1979, al-Maliki fled Iraq after he was discovered to be a member of the outlawed Islamic Dawa Party. According to a brief biography on the Islamic Dawa Party's website, he left Iraq via Jordan in October, and soon moved to Syria, adopting the pseudonym "Jawad". He left Syria for Iran in 1982, where he lived in Tehran until 1990, before returning to Damascus where he remained until U.S.-led coalition forces invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam's regime in 2003. While living in Syria, he worked as a political officer for Dawa, developing close ties with Hezbollah and particularly with the Iranian government, supporting Iran's effort to topple Saddam's regime.
While living in Damascus, al-Maliki edited the party newspaper Al-Mawqif and rose to head the party's Damascus branch. In 1990, he joined the Joint Action Committee and served as one of its rotating chairman. The committee was a Damascus-based opposition coalition for a number of Hussein's opponents. The Dawa Party participated in the Iraqi National Congress between 1992 and 1995, withdrawing because of disagreements over who should head it.
Upon his return to his native Iraq after the fall of Saddam in April 2003, al-Maliki became the deputy leader of the Supreme National Debaathification Commission of the Iraqi Interim Government, formed to purge former Baath Party officials from the military and government. He was elected to the transitional National Assembly in January 2005. He was a member of the committee that drafted the new constitution that was passed in October 2005.
Premiership
See also: Al Maliki I GovernmentSelection as prime minister
In the December 2005 Iraqi parliamentary election, the United Iraqi Alliance won the plurality of seats, and nominated Ibrahim al-Jaafari to be Iraq's first full-term post-war prime minister. In April 2006, amid mounting criticism of ineffective leadership and favoritism by Kurdish and Sunni Arab politicians in parliament, al-Jaafari was forced to resign from power. On 22 April 2006, following close U.S. involvement in the selection of a new prime minister, al-Maliki's name arose from the four that had been interviewed by the CIA on their connections to Iran (the others including Hussein al-Shahristani and Ali al-Adeeb).
United States Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said that " reputation is as someone who is independent of Iran." Khalilzad also maintained that Iran "pressured everyone for Jaafari to stay". However, al-Maliki was the preferred candidate of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, and it was Soleimani who brokered the deal between senior Shiite and Kurdish leaders that led to his election as prime minister.
Formation of Al Maliki I Government
See also: Al Maliki I Government and 2006 Iraqi government formationOn 20 May 2006, al-Maliki presented his Cabinet to Parliament, minus permanent ministers of Defense and of Interior. He announced that he would temporarily handle the Interior Ministry himself, and Salam al-Zobaie would temporarily act as Defense Minister. "We pray to God almighty to give us strength so we can meet the ambitious goals of our people who have suffered a lot", al-Maliki told the members of the assembly.
June–December 2006
During his first term, al-Maliki vowed to crack down on insurgents who he called "organized armed groups who are acting outside the state and outside the law". He had been criticized for taking too long to name permanent interior and defense ministers, which he did on 8 June 2006, just as al-Maliki and the Americans announced the killing of Al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Meanwhile, al-Maliki criticized coalition armed forces as reports of allegedly deliberate killings of Iraqi civilians (at Haditha and elsewhere) became known. He has been quoted as saying, "his is a phenomenon that has become common among many of the multinational forces. No respect for citizens, smashing civilian cars and killing on a suspicion or a hunch. It's unacceptable." According to Ambassador Khalilzad, al-Maliki had been misquoted, but it was unclear in what way.
The international Committee to Protect Journalists wrote to al-Maliki in June 2006, complaining of a "disturbing pattern of restrictions on the press" and of the "imprisonment, intimidation, and censorship of journalists".
His relationship with the press was often contentious. On 24 August 2006, for example, he banned television channels from broadcasting images of bloodshed in the country and warned of legal action against those violating the order. Major General Rashid Flayah, head of a national police division added "...We are building the country with Kalashnikovs and you should help in building it with the use of your pen". Early in his term, al-Maliki was criticized by some for alleged reluctance to tackle Shiite militias. In October 2006, he complained about an American raid against a Shiite militia leader because he said it had been conducted without his approval. Al-Maliki's job was complicated by the balance of power within parliament, with his position relying on the support of two Shiite blocs, that of Muqtada al-Sadr and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, that his Dawa party has often been at odds with. Progress was also frequently blocked by Sunni Arab politicians who alleged that the dominant Shiite parties were pursuing sectarian advantage. Al-Maliki had some success in finding compromise.
On 30 December 2006, al-Maliki signed the death warrant of Saddam Hussein and declined a stay of execution, saying there would be "no review or delay" in the event. Citing the wishes of relatives of Hussein's victims, he said, "Our respect for human rights requires us to execute him." Hussein's execution was carried out on 30 December 2006 (notably, the first Muslim day of the feast of Eid ul-Adha).
January 2007 – end 2009
On 2 January 2007, the Wall Street Journal published an interview with al-Maliki in which he said he wished he could end his term before it expires in 2009.
In 2007, unnamed U.S. military officers alleged al-Maliki was replacing Iraqi commanders who had cracked down on Shiite militias with party loyalists. An al-Maliki spokesman denied the allegation.
In May 2007, the Islamic Dawa Party removed Jaafari and elected al-Maliki as Secretary-General of the Dawa Party.
In July 2008, al-Maliki, who earlier in the year fought off a recall effort in parliament, convinced Sunni politicians to end a year-long boycott of the chamber and appointed some of them to cabinet positions. Analysts said the return of the Sunnis was made possible by the security gains under al-Maliki and by apparent progress in negotiations with the United States over American military withdrawal.
By late 2008, al-Maliki started to stop transparency efforts by firing inspector generals. He also started using sections of the armed forces against his political rivals.
By October–November 2008, the al-Malki government had witnessed improvements in the security situation in many parts of the country. In Baghdad, a peace deal signed between Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army and the government had eased tensions, though sporadic sectarian incidents continued, as did occasional fighting between U.S. forces and Shiite militiamen, particularly in Sadr City.
Maliki in May 2009 talked about the need to make a secure and sustainable environment for investment in order for successful reconstruction and has enacted new investment laws to try to achieve this. He also acknowledged Iraq's unfortunate reliance on oil to finance reconstruction thus far, although the revenue began to be spent on other possible revenue sources including agriculture and energy.
Al Maliki II Government, 2010–2014
Main article: Al Maliki II Government See also: 2010 Iraqi government formation, 2010 Iraqi parliamentary election, and History of Iraq (2003–2011)On 22 December 2010, al-Maliki's second government, including all main blocs in the new parliament, was unanimously approved by parliament, 9 months after the 2010 parliamentary election. On 5 February 2011, a spokesperson for al-Maliki said he would not run for a third term in 2014, limiting himself in the name of democracy, in a nod to the Arab Spring.
On 19 December 2011, the Vice President of Iraq, Tariq al-Hashemi, was accused of orchestrating bombing attacks and a hit squad killing Shiite politicians, and his arrest was warranted. This led to his Sunni/Shia Iraqiyya party (with 91 seats the largest party in parliament) boycotting parliament, which lasted until late January 2012. Hashemi was in September 2012 in absentia sentenced to death but had already fled to Turkey, which declared it will not extradite him to Iraq. This affair fueled Sunni Muslim and Kurdish resentment against Maliki who critics said was monopolizing power.
Al-Maliki lead Iraq through an increase in anti-Sunni violence, including the bloody crack-down on the 2012–2013 Sunni protests, which has been interpreted as leading to the rise of ISIS. The military under the al-Maliki administration was known for its corruption and was plagued with ghost soldiers, a corruption scheme with soldiers names on the pay rolls but not actually in service. When ISIS increased its activity in the first part of the 2013–2017 War in Iraq, Maliki led Iraq through major defeats, including the June 2014 northern Iraq offensive which saw the catastrophic collapse of the Iraqi army in that region and the fall of Mosul, where an army of 1,500 ISIS militants won over 60,000 Iraqi soldiers.
A former commander of the Iraqi ground forces, Ali Ghaidan, accused al-Maliki of being the one who issued the order to withdraw from the city of Mosul. By late June, the Iraqi government had lost control of its borders with both Jordan and Syria. al-Maliki called for a national state of emergency on 10 June following the attack on Mosul, which had been seized overnight. However, despite the security crisis, Iraq's parliament did not allow Maliki to declare a state of emergency; many Sunni Arab and Kurdish legislators boycotted the session because they opposed expanding the prime minister's powers.
By August 2014 al-Maliki was still holding on to power tenaciously despite Iraq's president Fuad Masum nominating Haidar al-Abadi to take over. Al-Maliki referred the matter to the federal court claiming the president's nomination was a "constitutional violation". He said: "The insistence on this until the end is to protect the state." On 14 August 2014, however, in the face of growing calls from world leaders and members of his own party the embattled prime minister Al-Maliki announced he was stepping down.
Sunni friction
Maliki's critics assert that he did his utmost to limit the power of both Kurds and Sunnis between 2006 and 2014. Their view is that Maliki worked to further centralise governance and amass greater controls and power—from militarily to legislative—for his party. Instead of strengthening and securing Iraq, Maliki's actions have led to a rise in both Kurdish nationalism and Sunni insurgency, which has resulted in civil war and the effective failure of the Iraqi state.
The reign of al-Maliki has been described as sectarian by both Sunni Iraqis and western analysts; something which helped fuel a Sunni uprising in the country in 2014. During the Northern Iraq offensive, beginning in June 2014, ISIS vowed to take power away from al-Maliki, who called upon Kurdish forces to help keep Iraq out of the hands of ISIS, as well as air support from American drones in order to eliminate dangerous jihadist elements in the country, which was refused by the United States, as "administration spokesmen have insisted that the United States is not actively considering using warplanes or armed drones to strike ."
The announcement of al-Maliki's resignation on 14 August 2014 and the leadership transition to Haider al-Abadi caused a major realignment of Sunni Arab public opinion away from armed opposition groups and to the Iraqi government, since many Iraqi Sunni Arabs were optimistic that the new government would address their grievances and deliver more public goods and services to them than the government led by al-Maliki.
Relationship with the U.S.
See also: Iraq–United States relationsIn an interview published by the German magazine Der Spiegel in June 2008, al-Maliki said that a schedule for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country of "about 16 months ... would be the right time-frame for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes". In the interview, he said the U.S. government has been reluctant to agree to a timetable "because they feel it would appear tantamount to an admission of defeat. But that isn't the case at all ... it is not evidence of a defeat, but of a victory, of a severe blow we have inflicted on Al Qaeda and the militias." He said U.S. negotiators were coming around to his point of view.
Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin were two of several U.S. politicians who called for him to be removed from office in 2007. Senator Clinton urged Iraq's parliament to select a "less divisive and more unifying figure" and implied she felt al-Maliki was too concerned about Iraq's Shiite majority and not enough with national reconciliation. "During his trip to Iraq last week, Senator Levin ... confirmed that the Iraqi government is nonfunctional and cannot produce a political settlement because it is too beholden to religious and sectarian leaders", she said.
Al-Maliki hit back and said the Democratic senators were acting as if Iraq were "their property" and that they should "come to their senses" and "respect democracy". After 17 Iraqis were shot and killed by Blackwater USA security guards al-Maliki called on the U.S. embassy to stop working with the company and said: "What happened was a crime. It has left a deep grudge and anger, both inside the government and among the Iraqi people."
Maliki's friendly gestures towards Iran have sometimes created tension between his government and the United States but he has also been willing to consider steps opposed by Tehran, particularly while carrying out negotiations with the United States on a joint-security pact. A June 2008 news report noted that al-Maliki's visit to Tehran seemed to be "aimed at getting Iran to tone down its opposition and ease criticism within Iraq". Al-Maliki said an agreement reached with the U.S. won't preclude good relations with neighbors like Iran.
In August 2007, CNN reported that the firm of Barbour, Griffith & Rogers had "begun a public campaign to undermine the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki". The network described BGR as a "powerhouse Republican lobbying firm with close ties to the White House". CNN also mentioned that Ayad Allawi is both al-Maliki's rival and BGR's client, although it did not assert that Allawi had hired BGR to undermine al-Maliki.
In late 2014, Vice President Al-Maliki accused the United States of using ISIL as a pretext to maintain its military presence in Iraq. He stated that "the Americans began this sedition in Syria and then expanded its dimensions into Iraq and it seems that they intend to further stretch this problem to other countries in their future plans."
Official visits
On 13 June 2006, U.S. President George W. Bush paid a visit to Baghdad to meet with al-Maliki and President of Iraq Jalal Talabani, as a token of support for the new government. During this visit, they announced the Iraqi Leaders Initiative, in which students from Iraq would go to the United States to build a personal connection between the two countries. On 25 June, al-Maliki presented a national reconciliation plan to the Iraqi parliament. The peace plan sets out to remove powerful militias from the streets, open a dialogue with rebels, and review the status of purged members of the once dominant Ba'ath party. Some viewed this as a bold step towards rebuilding Iraq and reaching out to Sunnis.
By July 2006, when al-Maliki visited the United States, violence had continued and even escalated, leading many to conclude that the reconciliation plan was not working or was moving too slowly. On 26 July 2006, al-Maliki addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. Several New York Democrats boycotted the speech after Al-Maliki condemned Israel's attack on Lebanon. Howard Dean, the DNC chairman, accused Al-Maliki of being an "anti-Semite" and said the United States shouldn't spend so much on Iraq and then hand it over to people like al-Maliki.
In September 2006, Al-Maliki made his first official visit to neighbouring Iran, whose alleged influence on Iraq is a matter of concern for Washington, D.C. He discussed with Iranian officials, including president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the "principle of no interference in internal affairs" during his visit on 11 and 12 September 2006, i.e., political and security issues. His visit closely followed an incident in which Iran detained Iraqi soldiers it accused of having illegally crossed the border.
Ibrahim Shaker, Iraqi defence ministry spokesman, said the five soldiers, one officer and one translator involved had simply been doing "their duty". During his visit al-Maliki called the Islamic Republic of Iran "a good friend and brother". A press conference given by al-Maliki and U.S. President George Bush on 14 December 2008, was disrupted when Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi threw his shoes at Bush.
Later duties
On 26 January 2013 al-Maliki's opponents passed a law which prohibited al-Maliki from running for a third term but an Iraqi court later rejected it. By August 2014, al-Maliki lost all his chances to win a third term in office.
On 8 September 2014, during approval of the new government led by Haider al-Abadi, al-Maliki was named one of the three vice presidents, a prestigious albeit largely ceremonial post. On 11 August 2015, the Parliament approved a reform package by Prime Minister al-Abadi that foresaw, among other measures, the elimination of the three vice president posts. However, following a lawsuit opened by fellow Vice President Usama al-Nujayfi, al-Maliki declared in September 2015 that he was still holding his office because the removal of the post was not in line with the Iraqi Constitution. Osama al-Nujaifi filed a complaint against the decision in November 2015, considering it to be against the Constitution. On 10 October 2016, the three posts of Vice Presidents were restored by the Supreme Court of Iraq which termed their abolition as unconstitutional.
Personal life
Al-Maliki is married to Faleeha Khalil, with whom he has four daughters and one son. His son Ahmed was head of Al-Maliki's security, and two of his sons-in-law also worked in his office.
On 26 April 2006, al-Maliki stopped using the pseudonym Jawad which he had used since moving to Syria in the early 1980s. However, the pseudo- or code name (Kunya) "Abu Esraa" (father of Esraa – his eldest daughter) is still occasionally heard on Iraqi satellite media, because it is very common in Arab culture (and in Iraqi culture in particular) to call someone by his eldest child's name, especially among his close friends and followers.
See also
References
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{{cite web}}
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External links
- Prime Minister's Office
- Profile: Jawad al-Maliki BBC News 21 April 2006
- Al-Huda News Article
- MEIB article
- Hosham Dawod (5 October 2012). "Construction et déconstruction du pouvoir politique en Irak. Le cas de Nouri al-Maliki". Les Carnets de l'IFPO. doi:10.58079/pvtw. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- Appearances on C-SPAN
Political offices | ||
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Preceded byIbrahim al-Jaafari | Prime Minister of Iraq 2006–2014 |
Succeeded byHaider al-Abadi |
Preceded byKhodair al-Khozaei | Vice President of Iraq 2014–2015 2016–2018 |
Succeeded byVacant |
Party political offices | ||
Preceded byIbrahim al-Jaafari | Leader of the Islamic Dawa Party 2007–present |
Incumbent |
Prime ministers of Iraq (list) | ||||
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Mandatory Iraq (1920–1932) | ||||
Kingdom of Iraq (1932–1958) | ||||
Iraqi Republic (1958–1968) | ||||
Ba'athist Iraq (1968–2003) | ||||
Iraqi Governing Council (2003–2004) | ||||
Republic of Iraq (since 2004) | ||||
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Popular Mobilization Forces | |||||||
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In Iraq | |||||||
People |
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Factions |
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Other personals | |||||||
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Military activities | |||||||
Related | |||||||
Category |
- 1949 births
- Iraqi Shia Muslims
- Islamic Dawa Party politicians
- Living people
- People from Karbala Province
- Prime ministers of Iraq
- University of Baghdad alumni
- Salahaddin University-Erbil alumni
- Interior ministers of Iraq
- Vice presidents of Iraq
- Twelvers
- Anti-Zionism in Iraq
- Anti-Americanism
- Iraqi dissidents
- People of the War in Iraq (2013–2017)
- Iraqi expatriates in Syria
- 20th-century Iraqi politicians
- 21st-century Iraqi politicians
- Critics of Wahhabism
- Iraqi conspiracy theorists