Iraqi PM's future to be decided within next two weeks

Criticized by Senators John Warner (R-VA) and Carl Levin (D-MI) for running a "non-functional" government, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is on his last legs politically.  He is losing support from Washington fast, and hardly has any backing on his home turf.

Maliki's last chance in fending off a no-confidence vote from the Iraqi Parliament is unfolding at this very moment.  Mark Kukis of Time Magazine reports on the emergency cabinet meeting that was called:

Crocker and Iraq watchers in Washington seem to be pinning much onpolitical talks in Baghdad, where Maliki has been huddling with keyleadership figures from the country's factions in recent days. Lastweek Maliki, following the refusal of key Sunni leaders to resumeparticipation in the government, called an emergency political summit.Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, one of the last prominent Sunnifigures willing to be seen talking to the Shi'ite Maliki, was summoned.So was Kurdish President Jalal Talabani and Shi'ite Vice President AdelAbdel Mahdi as well as Massoud Barzani, president of the northernKurdish region.

Days of closed-door meetings have ensued and are expected tocontinue through the week, perhaps longer. At bottom the issue isMaliki's inability thus far to forge a compromise with Sunni factions,who accuse Maliki, with good reason, of pursuing a sectarian agenda.But the prospects for success of the talks are dim. No signs ofcompromise have emerged despite days of meetings. And if Maliki'sgovernment remains shunned by Sunni leadership when the talks finallyend, the political reconciliation the surge was meant to spur will havegone backward, not forward.

Plain and simple, this is a nightmare for President Bush.  If a no-confidence vote results in the ouster of Maliki before Petraeus' September political speech to Congress, then it will further destroy the credibility of anything in the White House report that cites political progress.

Comments

[granny]

Bush does not have nightmares.

The White House does not have credibility.

The agenda is set: you showed us the ads.

The "terrorists" are not far behind.
Nor, I venture, far away.