Speaking today about the crackdown in neighboring Syria, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki took an extremely soft position, insisting that Syrian ruler Bashar Assad should “quicken the implementation of reforms.” In the wake of President Obama’s calls for Assad’s immediate ouster, the comments are seen as evidence that the Shi’ite-dominated government in Iraq is taking a position more in line with Iran than with their US occupiers.
Iraqi PM Takes ‘Soft Line’ on Syria
Move Seen as Backing Iran Over US
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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