"The Shiite-Sunni power struggle has now been transplanted into the government and potentially institutionalized. Maliki and Allawi are bound together in deep, personal enmity for one another. That will make governing that much more difficult." "The core question is now how much decision-making authority Allawi's new council will have and thus how much he will be able to check the prime minister's extensive power. Allawi must now grab control of those parts of Iraqi security forces that Maliki took under his wing during his first term. Those who remember just how ruthless the prime minister was will not be overcome by optimism." Various German media takes here.
Wolves In The City take : welcome to the Shiaocracy and a secular, Iran-orchestrated debacle. Thanks, Dubya. Freedom, eh?
From the moment that George W. Bush decided to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein, it was certain that Iran would be the big winner. Almost two-thirds of the Iraqi population, although Arab, belongs to the Shiite sect of Islam, and Iran is Shiite. When the post-invasion scramble for power began in Iraq, it was perfectly natural for Iraqi Shiites to turn to Tehran for support against Sunnis in their own country. During the eight months of haggling and stonewalling that preceded the deal on Nov. 11, both Al-Maliki and Allawi spent more time seeking support in Tehran and the capitals of Iraq’s Sunni neighbors to the south than negotiating with their rivals in Baghdad itself. The country has become a pawn in the confrontation between Iran and the Arab countries, but Iran has emerged as the clear winner.
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