Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (2nd from left) introduces Iraq
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to members
of the Russian delegation, at
Medvedev's Gorki residence outside Moscow, Oct. 9. According to
this
article from Iraq, Maliki was there to sign a $4 billion arms deal,
and to
agree to plans to help resupply the Syrian regime through Iraq.
'Ignorant' Iraqi Leaders to Aid Syria, Along with Russians and Iranians (Al-Iraq News, Iraq)
"Moscow and
Tehran have begun thinking about a Syria-Iran rescue plan. The idea is to make
backdoor use of Iraq, thereby victimizing Iraqis by manipulating their leaders,
who are too ignorant to understand what happens behind the scenes of global
politics. ... Bearing the fact that Maliki is heavily subsidized by America in
mind, and that the U.S. seeks to topple all of Maliki's
allies, one can assume that Washington, which brought Maliki to power, began
considering abandoning him soon after he visited Russia."
Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Moscow with Iraq Prime Minister Nori al-Maliki, in town to sign a $4 billion deal for Russian arms, and form an alliance with Iran and Russia to help supply the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria and Lebanese Hezbullah.
With the regime of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad on the verge of collapse, the Iranian economy reeling under the strain
of sanctions and the rapid collapse of its currency, Moscow and Tehran have
begun thinking about a Syria-Iran rescue plan. The idea is to make backdoor use
of Iraq, thereby victimizing Iraqis by manipulating their leaders, who are too
ignorant to understand what happens behind the scenes of global politics.
This has been made clear by the many recent visits to Iraq by
senior Iranian security officers, and Prime Minister al-Maliki's
visit to Russia in search of a new formula for security and military
cooperation, which could pave the way to a three-way alliance of Moscow, Tehran
and Baghdad - with the latter coming out the big loser.
Maliki's visit to Moscow was
preceded by a surprise visit to Iraqi Kurdistan by Iranian Quds
Force Commander QasemSoleimani, during which
he met with President JalalTalabani
[a Kurd] and his senior aides, and with Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional
Government NechirvanBarzani, to take their
pulse to see how willing they are to cooperate with Tehran in saving Assad's
regime. And this visit came after Soleimani stopped
in Ankara and Damascus. Iran Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi
arrived in Baghdad after Soleimani left, marking an
influx into Iraq, Beirut and Ankara of senior Iranian security officials. Now Iran
Ambassador to Iraq Hassan Danaii says that President
Ahmadinejad plans to visit Baghdad soon after Maliki returns from Moscow.
This swirl of visits, which have taken place with remarkable
speed, may result in such a Moscow-Tehran-Baghdad alliance, which will be formed to rescue
the Syrian regime, especially after Maliki signed an arms agreement at the
Kremlin worth over $4 billion. The deal includes provisions for using Iraq as a
transshipment point for weapons supplied by Moscow and Tehran and headed to Syria,
to help its besieged regime withstand the popular uprising that has been going
on since March of last year. Some of the weapons will also go to Lebanese
Hezbullah, as Maliki believes that the survival of his
regime is tied to Hezbullah's continued presence in
Lebanon and the survival of Bashar al-Assad. The
reason Iraq is being encouraged to step up is that Iran, the main sponsor of Assad
and Hezbullah, has an economy nearing collapse due to global oil sanctions
imposed as a result of Tehran's nuclear program.
Maliki's dependence on weapons
supplied by Washington mean that his approach to foreign affairs is subject to
strong conditions imposed by the U.S. Washington has warned Baghdad more than
once about Iran's growing influence, and obliges Baghdad to search all Iranian
aircraft destined for Syria that pass through Iraqi airspace. And that comes in
addition to American policy, which clearly indicates the desire to topple Assad,
force Tehran to abandon its nuclear program, and disarm Hezbullah, which it
considers a terrorist organization.
Posted by Worldmeets.US
Bearing in mind that Maliki is heavily subsidized by America, and that the U.S. seeks to topple all of Maliki's
allies, one can assume that the United States, which brought Maliki to power, began
considering abandoning him soon after he visited Russia- America's traditional adversary. Now that
Maliki poses a threat to U.S. policy both within Iraq and around the region,
the likelihood is that Washington will move to replace Maliki at its earliest
possible convenience. Indeed, he is an undesirable figure to most Iraqi
political blocs, and even some of his allies in the Iraqi National
Alliance.
During his six-year reign, Maliki has provided his people
nothing on the security front, deteriorating public services, and fast-spreading
corruption that now prevails at most state institutions, which is another great
setback for Iraqis. Maliki is also considered undesirable by America's allies
in the Gulf. Neither is he favored by Turkey, a key NATO member state. Due to interlocking
interests in a region and with the drums of war growing louder, Iraq may once again
fall victim, thanks to the policies of people they don't understand and indecision
about who to align with.
The bottom line is that in today's world, leaders must first
reconcile with their own people before doing so with outsiders. If you are an
outcast in your own home, then you cannot expect outsiders to like and welcome
you. And if they do, it is undoubtedly because they are looking out for their
interests, and not yours.
