Via the NYT: Iraqi Shiite Bloc Splits Over Call for New Premier

Iraq’s dominant Shiite political bloc fractured Sunday when its most powerful faction publicly demanded that the incumbent Shiite prime minister resign over his inability to form a unified government.

That it took three months to get to this point is remarkable. That is is necessary seems clear, And while such an assessment is based on limited information, it is pretty clear that Jaafari has been inefficacious in his role as interim PM. Further, there is scant evidence that he has shown any leadership post-election where it has been needed, and that is in terms of forging a new government.

Still, the short-term situation is perilous:

The developments suggested that a new phase in Iraq’s convulsions might have started by opening a possibly violent battle for the country’s top job between rival Shiite factions, which both have militias backing them. The incumbent prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, has said he will fight to keep his job, and his principal supporter is Moktada al-Sadr, a rebellious cleric whose Mahdi Army militia has resorted to violence many times to enforce his wishes.

[...]

Any dispute between the Shiite bloc’s two biggest factions — Mr. Hakim’s party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, and the party led by Mr. Sadr — carries with it the possibility of armed violence. The factions are longtime rivals, have backing from Iran and operate militias with members in the Iraqi security forces. Their militias fought street battles last August throughout Baghdad and the south, even hijacking double-decker buses to storm office buildings.

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One Response to “PM Politics in Iraq”

1. wrger Says:
   April 3rd, 2006 at 5:00 pm

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