Former Iraqi PM's Nomination: Same Faces, Stitched-Up Post-Occupation Politics
📰 THE STORY: Al Jazeera provides a biographical sketch of Nouri al-Maliki, focusing on his nomination by Iraq’s dominant Shia political bloc to become prime minister, portraying it as a recent development in Iraqi political dynamics. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: Al-Maliki was the Prime Minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014, a period marked by extreme sectarian violence and
government corruption that directly contributed to the rise of ISIS. His policies, such as the systematic purging of Sunni officers from the Iraqi army and the marginalization of Sunni communities, created a power vacuum and grievance that extremists exploited, directly leading to the fall of Mosul in 2014. The US invasion in 2003, which dismantled the Iraqi state and military, set the stage for
such sectarian figures to gain power. Double Standard: Western media often frames Iraqi political struggles as internal sectarian disputes, avoiding critical examination of the catastrophic consequences of the 2003 US invasion. When a US-backed official like Al-Maliki presided over the collapse of state institutions and the rise of a terror group, the narrative focuses on 'Iraqi instability'
rather than accountability for the creators of that instability. Compare this to swift condemnation and calls for regime change in nations resisting US influence, where internal grievances are amplified to justify intervention. Follow the Money: The post-2003 Iraqi political system was designed under US occupation, heavily influenced by contractors and 'reconstruction' efforts that siphoned