InfoAnda - Analysis: Iraq resumes political strife in vacuum left by U.S. |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

No deal between Stieg Larsson's partner and heirs: family | 16 June 2010
Avatar unlikely to match Titanic Oscar haul | | 19 January 2010
Japan urges China to set up communication system | | 11 October 2010

Indonesia anti-corruption chief arrested in murder | 5 May 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Analysis: Iraq resumes political strife in vacuum left by U.S. |

Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Davos 2012 Technology Media Small Business Legal Deals Earnings Summits Business Video Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Mexico Russia India Insight World Video Politics Politics Home Elections 2012 Issues 2012 Candidates 2012 Tales from the Trail Political Theater Supreme Court Politics Video Tech Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland John Lloyd Felix Salmon Jack Shafer David Rohde Bernd Debusmann Gregg Easterbrook Nader Mousavizadeh James Saft Lucy P. Marcus David Cay Johnston Bethany McLean Edward Hadas Hugo Dixon Ian Bremmer Mohamed El-Erian Lawrence Summers Susan Glasser The Great Debate Steven Brill Breakingviews Equities Credit Private Equity M&A Macro & Markets Politics Money Money Home Global Investing MuniLand Unstructured Finance Linda Stern Mark Miller John Wasik Analyst Research Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Life & Culture Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Article Comments (0) VIDEO Year in 60 seconds: 2011 A multimedia showcase of some of 2011's top stories, including Japan's tragic earthquake, the Arab Spring, the demise of Osama bin Laden and Muammar Gaddafi, the shooting rampage in Norway, famine in Somalia and the Royal Wedding. Video U.S. soldiers reflect on wounds of war An uncertain future for Iraq as U.S. leaves Batista bets on Brazil Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Havel, leader of "Velvet Revolution," dies | 4:04pm EST Last U.S. troops leave Iraq, ending war | 3:25pm EST House Republicans oppose Senate payroll tax bill 1:16pm EST Russian rig sinks, more than 50 feared dead | 11:17am EST Security forces, protesters clash again in Cairo | 3:05pm EST Discussed 251 Ron Paul gains ground, further stirring Republicans 133 Ron Paul strongly defends anti-war policies 103 Supreme Court to decide Arizona immigration law Watched Last U.S. convoy leaves Iraq 2:02am EST Philippines death toll rises Sat, Dec 17 2011 Dozens die in Philippines storm Sat, Dec 17 2011 Analysis: Iraq resumes political strife in vacuum left by U.S. Tweet Share this Email Print Related News U.S. withdrawal in Iraq rolls into final act Fri, Dec 16 2011 Military marks end to nearly nine bloody years in Iraq Thu, Dec 15 2011 Doubts, fears nag Iraqis as U.S. pulls out Thu, Dec 15 2011 U.S. military chapter in Iraq draws to a close Wed, Dec 14 2011 Thousands celebrate U.S. withdrawal in Iraq's Falluja Wed, Dec 14 2011 Analysis & Opinion America’s unfulfilled promise to Iraqis Voices from al-Azhar on Egypt, Islam and elections Related Topics World » A line of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division that are part of the last U.S. military convoy to leave Iraq drive south on Highway 1 towards Kuwait December 18, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Lucas Jackson By Rania El Gamal BAGHDAD | Sun Dec 18, 2011 4:00pm EST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The dust had barely settled from the last column of departing U.S. armoured vehicles when Iraq's rival Sunni and Shi'ite factions resumed the kind of political infighting that threatens a lurch back into turmoil. Within hours of the last U.S. troops rolling out of Iraq on Sunday, Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had asked parliament to sack his Sunni deputy, and security sources said an arrest warrant was issued for the Sunni vice president. Add to this a parliamentary boycott announced Saturday by the secular Iraqiya bloc, backed by many Sunnis, and the risk is growing of an intensified power struggle between Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish politicians that could leave Iraq vulnerable to meddling by Sunni Arab nations and Shi'ite Iran. "This political dispute between the different blocs especially Iraqiya and (Maliki), needs to be resolved... to fill the security vacuum left in the country by the Americans," said political analyst Kadhim al-Meqdadi. "Otherwise if it turns into a power struggle, it would open the door for foreign interference. Every party will go to a country... this is very dangerous for Iraq." Iran and Turkey, a Sunni Muslim country with a secular constitution, are both major investors and influential players in Iraqi politics. They will be watching with Sunni-led Gulf nations to see how Iraq handles its sectarian and ethnic tensions, especially as the crisis in neighboring Syria threatens to spill over its borders. Shi'ite politicians fret unrest in Syria could oust Assad and bring to power hardline Sunnis eager to put their weight behind fellow-Sunnis in Iraq. PROBLEM LIST Uneasy power-sharing with Sunni and Kurdish blocs is not the only test for Maliki as security concerns, territorial disputes and possible popular unrest loom on the horizon now U.S. troops have left Iraq nearly nine years after the 2003 invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. The country is struggling with stubborn insurgency and festering discontent over the pace of development. Plagued by daily bombings, decades-old laws, bureaucracy, and crumbling infrastructure, it must attract billions of dollars of foreign investment to rebuild its battered economy. Maliki must tread carefully over the next months and prove Iraq is able to stand alone and define its place in the Arab region despite discontent in his coalition government and public anger over lack of jobs and poor basic services. "Iraq faces an endless list of challenges... There is little to suggest that Iraq's government will manage, or be willing, to get itself out of the current stalemate," said Gala Riani, an analyst at IHS Global Insight. Sunni-backed Iraqiya said it was suspending its participation in parliament over what it called Maliki's failure to deliver on promises. Maliki's office then called on parliament for a vote of no confidence in his Sunni deputy, Vice President Saleh al-Mutlaq, a prominent leader of Iraqiya, saying he lacked faith in the political process. Iraq's Sunni minority are chafing under what they see as the increasingly authoritarian control of Maliki's coalition. Some local leaders are already pushing mainly Sunni provinces such as Salahuddin and Diyala to demand autonomy from Baghdad. KURDISH DISPUTE A dispute between the semi-autonomous Kurdish region and Maliki's central government over oil and territory is also brewing, and is a potential flashpoint after the buffer of the American military presence is gone. The Kurdistan Regional Government last month stepped up pressure on Maliki's central government by signing exploration deals with Exxon Mobil, a move Baghdad said was illegal. That move is testing Maliki's resolve to centralise control over oil resources. "Iraq faces a host of challenges... Maliki is moving increasingly to solidify his Shi'ite power base," said Wayne White, a scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington. "This raises the potential for greater ethno-sectarian friction." Another challenge ahead is rising public anger about poor services, such as food rationing and a lack of electricity and jobs. The longer it takes to address these complaints, the more the perception may grow that democracy in Iraq does not work, raising the risk of public disturbances. "The likeliest outcome in Iraq is that the government of Iraq will muddle along imperfectly and inelegantly, with continued but non-catastrophic violence and slow but non-zero economic and political development, in spite of the U.S. withdrawal," said Stephen Biddle, of the Council on Foreign Affairs, a Washington-based think-tank. "The problem is that the likeliest case isn't the only possibility. And many other possible outcomes are much worse - including renewed civil warfare, a descent back to 2006-scale violence, regional intervention, and a wider war." (Writing by Rania El Gamal; additional reporting by Patrick Markey; editing by Mark Trevelyan) World Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Support Corrections Advertise With Us Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Monday, 19 December 2011
Iran state TV airs confession of detained CIA spy |
Analysis: Iraq resumes political strife in vacuum left by U.S. |
Israel frees 550 Palestinians in Shalit swap |
Syria nearer to sign Arab plan, crackdown continues |
Zardari returns to Pakistan from Dubai: party officials |
Carlos the Jackal demands extradition to Venezuela |
Rebel China villagers demand elections, turn to central leaders |
Nokia CEO says to keep headquarters in Finland: TV |
Sherlock Holmes sequel leads slower box office |
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il dead, son hailed as heir |
U.S. worried by Egypt clashes now in fourth day |
Philippines mulls mass graves after typhoon kills hundreds |
Havel, leader of Velvet Revolution, dies |
Crew fled with life vests as packed Indonesian boat sank |
Russia spots raft with people after rig sinking |
Zardari returns to Pakistan amid memo saga |
Israel frees 550 Palestinians in Shalit swap |
Saudi's Prince Alwaleed buys stake in Twitter |
Samsung expands patent row with Apple in Germany |
MIT to offer labs, certificates to virtual students |
Apple supplier Pegatron hit by China plant blast |
AT&T, T-Mobile asset sales talks go cold: report |
Contents of Michael Jackson's final home fetch $1 million |
Cape Verdean singer Cesaria Evora dies at 70 |
Syria signs deal to let in Arab monitors |
Chinese rebel villagers vow march to press complaints |
Sudanese refugees recall horror of Blue Nile fighting |
India uproar at call in Russia to ban Hindu holy book |
Information black hole as North Korean leader dies |
Travel app curates reviews from experts and friends |
Analysis: Could RIM's survival mean abandoning the BlackBerry? |
Americans losing addiction to CrackBerrys |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01