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| Political Crisis in Iraq Deepens as President Nominates a New Prime Minister | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| DOHUK, Iraq — Iraq’s president on Monday nominated Haider al-Abadi, a member of the government’s Shiite coalition, as the country’s next prime minister, setting off a potential clash with Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, the current prime minister, who has demanded that he remain in power. | |
| The Iraqi president, Fouad Massoum, who is charged with forming a new government, is expected to formally announce Mr. Abadi’s nomination later on Monday. The move is likely to deepen tensions in Baghdad because Mr. Maliki has continued to insist he had the right to form the government because he commanded the largest bloc in the Iraqi Parliament. On Sunday, a defiant Mr. Maliki mustered Iraqi forces in Baghdad’s government center, known as the Green Zone, in a show of force meant to intimidate Mr. Massoum and other leading political figures. | |
| Mr. Abadi is a member of Mr. Maliki’s party, the Shiite Islamist Dawa Party, which has its roots in the clandestine political opposition to Saddam Hussein’s regime, and like many of Iraq’s current leaders, lived in exile during part of the Hussein regime. He has recently been first deputy speaker of Iraq’s Parliament. | |
| The United States has been reluctant to help the Iraqi government as long as it is led by Mr. Maliki, a Shiite Islamist seen by many as exacerbating sectarian and ethnic tensions, alienating some Sunnis and driving them to join the militants. | The United States has been reluctant to help the Iraqi government as long as it is led by Mr. Maliki, a Shiite Islamist seen by many as exacerbating sectarian and ethnic tensions, alienating some Sunnis and driving them to join the militants. |
| Even many who are opposed to Mr. Maliki’s coalition appeared ready to accept someone else from inside it. “Really at this point, I think it’s anybody but Maliki,” said a Kurdish politician who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation. | Even many who are opposed to Mr. Maliki’s coalition appeared ready to accept someone else from inside it. “Really at this point, I think it’s anybody but Maliki,” said a Kurdish politician who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation. |
| Whether Mr. Maliki will accept someone else from his bloc in the top spot remains unclear. | Whether Mr. Maliki will accept someone else from his bloc in the top spot remains unclear. |
| “The risk is, if he clings to power, he will control the country by force,” said another senior Iraqi politician. “This would be a military coup.” | “The risk is, if he clings to power, he will control the country by force,” said another senior Iraqi politician. “This would be a military coup.” |
| Secretary of State John Kerry, in Australia, warned that Mr. Maliki must back the constitutional process and not attempt to circumvent it by using his powers as commander in chief to stay in office. He said that any extralegal effort to cling to power would bring a cutoff of international aid. | Secretary of State John Kerry, in Australia, warned that Mr. Maliki must back the constitutional process and not attempt to circumvent it by using his powers as commander in chief to stay in office. He said that any extralegal effort to cling to power would bring a cutoff of international aid. |
| “There should be no use of force,” Mr. Kerry said in remarks to reporters in Sydney, where he was meeting with government leaders, “no introduction of troops or militias into this moment of democracy for Iraq.” | “There should be no use of force,” Mr. Kerry said in remarks to reporters in Sydney, where he was meeting with government leaders, “no introduction of troops or militias into this moment of democracy for Iraq.” |
| “Iraq needs to finish its government formation process,” Mr. Kerry added. “And our hope is that Mr. Maliki will not stir those waters.” | “Iraq needs to finish its government formation process,” Mr. Kerry added. “And our hope is that Mr. Maliki will not stir those waters.” |
| Mr. Kerry asserted that the Iraqi people supported a peaceful transition of power and added that there were “three or so” Shiite candidates for prime minister, “none of whom are Mr. Maliki.” | Mr. Kerry asserted that the Iraqi people supported a peaceful transition of power and added that there were “three or so” Shiite candidates for prime minister, “none of whom are Mr. Maliki.” |
| If Mr. Maliki were to call on the Iraqi Army to back his effort to stay in power, he could face resistance from one or several of the many militia groups that have close ties to political parties. | If Mr. Maliki were to call on the Iraqi Army to back his effort to stay in power, he could face resistance from one or several of the many militia groups that have close ties to political parties. |
| “We’re all worried about a coup d'état,” said Gen. Halgurd Hikmet, the chief spokesman for the Kurdish pesh merga. “Maliki has to know that we have two major units of our troops guarding the Parliament and the Defense Ministry,” he said referring to the Kurdish division of the Iraqi Army. | “We’re all worried about a coup d'état,” said Gen. Halgurd Hikmet, the chief spokesman for the Kurdish pesh merga. “Maliki has to know that we have two major units of our troops guarding the Parliament and the Defense Ministry,” he said referring to the Kurdish division of the Iraqi Army. |
| There are also the forces loyal to the influential Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, who oppose Mr. Maliki and are numerous in Baghdad. And there are the fighters of the Badr Corps, who are technically part of the Iraqi Army but remain closely tied to Hadi al-Ameri, a powerful Shiite member of the Iraqi Parliament with links to Iran. Whether Badr fighters will back Mr. Maliki or will move against him could help determine whether he survives. | There are also the forces loyal to the influential Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, who oppose Mr. Maliki and are numerous in Baghdad. And there are the fighters of the Badr Corps, who are technically part of the Iraqi Army but remain closely tied to Hadi al-Ameri, a powerful Shiite member of the Iraqi Parliament with links to Iran. Whether Badr fighters will back Mr. Maliki or will move against him could help determine whether he survives. |
| Whether any of these militias would be deployed is not clear, but the potential for fighting among different factions is real, several people said. | Whether any of these militias would be deployed is not clear, but the potential for fighting among different factions is real, several people said. |
| A person close to Mr. Massoum said the president had “taken his briefcase and gone to his office as usual” on Monday morning and that he was calling the leadership of each of the blocs in Parliament so that they can try to meet the 3 p.m deadline to name a prime minister. His presidential guard is on high alert, said a Kurdish leader who was in touch with the guard team, made up of Kurdish pesh merga. | A person close to Mr. Massoum said the president had “taken his briefcase and gone to his office as usual” on Monday morning and that he was calling the leadership of each of the blocs in Parliament so that they can try to meet the 3 p.m deadline to name a prime minister. His presidential guard is on high alert, said a Kurdish leader who was in touch with the guard team, made up of Kurdish pesh merga. |
| “What Fouad Massoum is doing is trying to make things clear,” said Aram al-Sheikh Mohammed, a leader in Goran, one of the Kurdish parties in the Iraqi Parliament. Although the army was “there in the Green Zone Sunday night, Fouad Massoum’s house was not surrounded” as some media outlets reported, he said. | “What Fouad Massoum is doing is trying to make things clear,” said Aram al-Sheikh Mohammed, a leader in Goran, one of the Kurdish parties in the Iraqi Parliament. Although the army was “there in the Green Zone Sunday night, Fouad Massoum’s house was not surrounded” as some media outlets reported, he said. |
| “One thing all Iraqis need to know,” Mr. Kerry said Monday, “there will be little international support of any kind” if a decision on Iraq’s leadership “deviates from the legitimate Constitution” and interrupts the government formation process. | “One thing all Iraqis need to know,” Mr. Kerry said Monday, “there will be little international support of any kind” if a decision on Iraq’s leadership “deviates from the legitimate Constitution” and interrupts the government formation process. |
| Without military aid, the Iraqi government would be unable to win back terrain from Sunni militants and are at risk of losing considerably more ground. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria took the town and villages surrounding Jalawla in northern Diyala Province near the Kurdistan border late Sunday and were pushing east. | Without military aid, the Iraqi government would be unable to win back terrain from Sunni militants and are at risk of losing considerably more ground. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria took the town and villages surrounding Jalawla in northern Diyala Province near the Kurdistan border late Sunday and were pushing east. |
| The winning back of two towns in eastern Kurdistan on Sunday, by Kurdish pesh merga forces in the wake of American airstrikes, were described as only putting a small dent in the advances of the Islamic State, said General Hikmet of the pesh merga. However the events heartened Kurdish fighters and the public and has changed the sense of their ability to take on ISIS fighters. | The winning back of two towns in eastern Kurdistan on Sunday, by Kurdish pesh merga forces in the wake of American airstrikes, were described as only putting a small dent in the advances of the Islamic State, said General Hikmet of the pesh merga. However the events heartened Kurdish fighters and the public and has changed the sense of their ability to take on ISIS fighters. |
| The situation in Baghdad on Monday morning was tense, with army troops on high alert. Soldiers manned numerous checkpoints and filled the Green Zone where the prime minister’s offices are situated, as well as the offices of Parliament and of other government figures. | The situation in Baghdad on Monday morning was tense, with army troops on high alert. Soldiers manned numerous checkpoints and filled the Green Zone where the prime minister’s offices are situated, as well as the offices of Parliament and of other government figures. |
| The Kurds have begun receiving weapons from outside sources, American officials said on Monday. Although the United States was aware of the weapons deliveries, officials would not comment on the types of arms or on who was providing them. | The Kurds have begun receiving weapons from outside sources, American officials said on Monday. Although the United States was aware of the weapons deliveries, officials would not comment on the types of arms or on who was providing them. |