Al-Maliki in Washington

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s visit to Washington at the end of October will be one of the most important diplomatic trips he will have taken recently, especially considering the issues he and U.S. President Barack Obama will deal with in their discussions. Among these are domestic issues: The Iraqi people have faced terrorism to an unparalleled degree, and confronting it must become a priority. The Syrian issue also brings its own complexities, and one must consider Iraq’s proposed initiative to seek a peaceful political solution by reconciling all parties in the crisis, with the exception of terrorists in the “Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria.” There seems to be international and regional agreement about the Geneva II conference, and Iraq has been invited to attend. In addition to these issues, the Iranian nuclear program and possible repercussions of a rapprochement between Tehran and Washington also loom large.

All of these issues will be put on the table at the White House, but most important will be Iraq’s concerns. Iraq and the U.S. committed themselves to strategic cooperation in an agreement signed before the withdrawal of American forces in 2011. Among other things, the agreement outlines the protection of the democratic government in Iraq and preservation of its sovereignty, as well as American support for the government against terrorist gangs, and American arming of the Iraqi security forces. But has Washington fulfilled its obligations to Iraq?

Washington’s actions regarding this “cooperation” bring to mind an Iraqi proverb: He who entices you with gold sells you dirt. America has not fulfilled even a quarter of its obligations toward Iraq since the signing of the agreement, and a point has been reached where the Iraqi leadership must free itself from these obligations and seek out a suitable substitute. This is especially apparent in the armaments of the Iraqi forces. It is not acceptable and barely believable that the entire Iraqi Army could only have 500 tanks, half of which have been donated by eastern nations. It is simply unbelievable that there is not a single squadron of fighters to protect Iraq from the many serious threats it faces to its domestic and international security, and it is absurd that Iraqi airspace is now open to spy planes that violate our sovereignty without any repercussions. Therefore, it is the duty of our leaders to inform Washington of the reality of its obligations regarding armament levels, intelligence sharing and diplomatic cooperation. Even if Washington defers to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — some of the supporters of terrorist activity within Iraq — this is still an important demand.

Even before his plane will have landed, Prime Minister al-Maliki faces a concerted political and media effort to scuttle the purpose of his visit. Several members of Congress recently wrote a letter to President Obama urging him to force America’s vision upon Iraq by putting direct pressure on its prime minister.

Along with this letter came a set of suggestions from the extremist, Senator John McCain — ideas unbefitting a member of Congress. Although McCain describes himself as a protector of Iraqi self-determination, he talks about Iraqis as if they were pieces of meat or members of a backward and oppressed tribe. In his mind, they have no representatives in parliament, nor are they found in the high centers of political power. He sees Iraqis as facing a campaign of organized genocide and views the prime minister alone as someone who can address their situation. McCain has closed his eyes and ears to the genocidal campaign al-Qaida wages against Shiites and the coffins that piled up once it gained a foothold in the Sunni-majority regions. He has not seen the pictures of sectarian slaughter, nor has he seen the rallies of incitement in Anbar and Nineveh provinces, where members of the Iraqi Parliament discuss expelling all Sunnis.

One could even say that the strangest points are found in McCain’s letter, not in the message from other members of Congress. There is a Saudi-Israeli lobby at work at the highest levels of the media and political decision makers in Washington, and it has set out to paint a negative picture of this Iraqi government and Shiite political parties as a whole in the American public opinion. Therefore, these campaigns are to be expected in America, and there is nothing strange about them. It is odd, however, that a group of Iraqi politicians would set out to tarnish this current government in American and global public opinion on the occasion of Prime Minister al-Maliki’s visit. As if that were not enough, this group stands against arming the Iraqi armed forces but advocates for reforming the political system!

Vice-President Joe Biden has clarified that the letters from members of Congress to the White House preceding Prime Minister al-Maliki’s visit have more to do with in-fighting between Democrats and Republicans than the visit itself. A U.S. State Department spokesperson has also added that any delay in American weapons support would cost the U.S. one of its most vital and influential regional allies, as well as one of the most important internationally competitive markets. We believe that the Obama administration is both understanding of Iraq’s demands and far from the pressure of these lobbies, but the most important thing in this situation is keeping one’s promises. At the end of the day, though, Washington will look after its own interests more than those of its friends. As Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ali Khamenei said on a possible rapprochement between Tehran and Washington — America is a country whose word cannot be trusted.