Wednesday
Mar312010
Iraq Video: Scott Lucas on Al Jazeera's "Inside Story"
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 12:43
I appeared on Al Jazeera's Inside Story on Tuesday to discuss the power politics in Iraq after the 7 March elections. The other participants are Saad al-Muttalibi, a political advisor to the Iraqi Council of Ministers, and Sabah al-Mukhtar, the head of the Arab Lawyers Association in the UK.
Iraq: What Do Latest Post-Election Power Plays Indicate? (Cole)
Reader Comments (7)
Sabah concludes the Iraqi government is undemocratic since the leading politicians are indeed influenced by foreign parties. You argued otherwise but you did admit that they have relations with outsiders. Saad denies the idea altogether.
Wouldn't you agree that the Iraqi elections is significant to Iran,Saudi Arabia and the USA and perhaps they played a part in these elections?
They are supporting the opposition in Iran why not the powers in favor of them in Iraq?
@Scott Lucas
President Bush waged war on Saddam Hussein to break the rule of dictatorship in Iraq, now you are saying that the US will stand aside and watch men with strings attached take over Iraq? what will 10 years of occupation have achieved?
Very interesting. I liked it at the end when the lawyer bloke said that Iran couldn't even control their own country :-)
oops didn't see the previous comments. I thought that at least with these three people, it wasn't clear exactly what, or how much those influences were. Maybe we'll never know, or some time later.
Danial,
I am certain that all the countries you mention (Iran, Saudi Arabia, US) are trying to influence the power politics to get the Government they prefer. But...
1) al-Maliki, Allawi, al-Sadr, Hakim, Chalabi, and other Iraqi politicians are not just puppets on strings. They have their own agendas, schemes, and manoeuvres. And, maybe most importantly, to the extent that someone can invoke "democracy", it is they and their lists for whom Iraqis cast their ballots, not the Iranians or Saudis or Americans.
2) I'm not saying the US is uninvolved or impotent but --- and this responds to a point just before the end of the programme --- their Ambassador rushing about to see al-Maliki or Allawi is not necessarily a sign of strength; it could be an attempt to cover weakness or at least a reduced position of influence. The US, by virtue of the occupation, was the de facto dominant outside power in Iraq after 2003. As that military influence recedes --- whether or not there is an actual withdrawal --- Washington finds itself in a competition with other outside powers and dealing with Iraqi politicians who are far from passive actors.
S.
Scott,
You're in the major league now (Saad al-Muttalibi and Sabah al-Mukhtar are frequent guests on 'Inside Iraq'). And how is it that you manage to always be on Inside Story with the very lovely Shuli Goosh? :-)
But seriously, I saw you wanted to add something to your last remark just as Ms Goosh turned to the other guests for their last words. Is your point 2 above what you wanted to say?
Catherine,
Point 2 was exactly what I was thinking at the time....
S.