Maliki Votes for Obama

The US underestimated the difficulties of invading Iraq and how long the war would last. Now Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki must prepare to deal with a new US commander in chief. By accepting Obama's campaign goal of removing US troops from Iraq sooner rather than later, Maliki indicates an opinion that the war has been won, with Al Qaeda defeated and Sunni-Shiite conflicts under control. Maliki, perhaps overconfident, also suggests that his army can secure Iraq without US assistance. In an essay for the Washington Post, Charles Krauthammer argues that Maliki is calculating the next step for his country in establishing US-Iraqi relations. Both candidates for US president have said they would remove US troops depending on conditions in Iraq, but the Democratic presumptive nominee, Barack Obama, has been more specific about timing. Like all countries, Iraq wants to maintain as much sovereignty as possible, and Maliki recognizes that Obama has promised less intervention than Republican presumptive nominee John McCain. --YaleGlobal