{"id":137118,"date":"2014-08-15T15:20:12","date_gmt":"2014-08-15T15:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/?p=137118"},"modified":"2014-08-15T15:20:12","modified_gmt":"2014-08-15T15:20:12","slug":"obama-wants-maliki-removed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/editorials\/obama-wants-maliki-removed\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Obama Wants Maliki Removed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mike Whitney\u00a0<\/em>
\nRINF Alternative News<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The Obama administration\u00a0is pushing for\u00a0regime change in Iraq on the basis that current prime minister Nouri al Maliki is too sectarian. The fact is, however, that Maliki\u2019s abusive treatment of Sunnis never factored into Washington\u2019s decision to have him removed. Whether he has been \u201ctoo sectarian\u201d or not is completely irrelevant. The real reason he\u2019s under attack is because he wouldn\u2019t sign the Status of Forces Agreement in 2011. He refused to grant immunity to the tens of thousands of troops the administration wanted to leave in Iraq following the formal withdrawal. That\u2019s what angered Washington. That\u2019s why the administration wants\u00a0Maliki\u00a0replaced.<\/p>\n

Check out this White House statement of support for new prime minister-designate Haider al-Ibadi (Maliki\u2019s rival) by Vice President Joe Biden just hours after the change (coup?) was announced. The document is titled \u201cReadout of the Vice President\u2019s Call with Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Haider al-Abadi\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cVice President Joe Biden called Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Haider al-Abadi to congratulate him on his nomination to form a new government and develop a national program pursuant to Iraq\u2019s constitutional process. The Prime Minister-designate expressed his intent to move expeditiously to form a broad-based, inclusive government capable of countering the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and building a better future for Iraqis from all communities. The Vice President relayed President Obama\u2019s congratulations and restated his commitment to fully support a new and inclusive Iraqi government, particularly in its fight against ISIL. The two leaders also discussed practical steps towards fully activating the bilateral Strategic Framework Agreement in all of its fields, including economic, diplomatic, and security cooperation. Prime Minister-designate Abadi thanked Vice President Biden for the call, and they agreed to stay in regular communication as the government formation process proceeds.\u201d (White House)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Did you catch that part about the \u201cbilateral Strategic Framework Agreement in all of its fields\u201d. That\u2019s the kicker right there. That\u2019s what this is all about. Here\u2019s one small section of that document under the heading of \u201cDefense and Security\u201d:<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026. Iraq Joint Military Committee (JMC),\u2026. addressed issues such as border security, Iraqi military strategy, and engagement of Iraqi Security Forces in regional training exercises. The next JCC likely will be held in Washington this year.<\/p>\n

Acting Defense Minister al-Dlimi signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Security Cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense. This agreement represents the strong military to military relationship between the United States and Iraq, and provides mechanisms for increased defense cooperation in areas including defense planning, counterterrorism cooperation, and combined exercises.<\/p>\n

\u2026 The Iraq FMS program is one of the largest in the world and is an important symbol of the long-term security partnership envisioned by both countries. We remain committed to meeting Iraqi equipment needs as quickly as possible.\u201d (US Strategic Framework Agreement, US Department of State)
\n<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is just the camel\u2019s nose under the tent. There\u2019s no doubt that the administration\u2019s ultimate objective is to put US \u201cboots back on the ground\u201d which, by the way, is the reason why Obama is allowing the terrorist militia (ISIS) to seize 30 percent of the Iraqi landmass, capture the nation\u2019s second biggest city, and move to within 50 miles of Baghdad without lifting a finger to help. It\u2019s because Obama wants to create\u00a0a pretext for\u00a0boosting troop levels in\u00a0the country. What better way to redeploy thousands of US combat troops to Iraq, then to scare\u00a0Iraqi policymakers\u00a0into submission with visions of bloodthirsty terrorists (ISIS)\u00a0lopping off heads and slitting throats at every opportunity. It\u2019s all about persuasion. (Note: It\u2019s easy to see that\u2014while ISIS may not be directly under US control\u2014its presence in Iraq certainly serves Washington\u2019s overall strategic aims. )<\/p>\n

Independent researcher and journalist, Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich, appears to be one of the few analysts who\u2019s figured out what\u2019s going on. Check out this clip from Iran\u2019s Press TV from interview with Ulrich:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cAmerica has long-standing plans to be permanently present in Iraq, and in the Persian Gulf region as a whole\u201d, said Ulrich.\u00a0 \u201cDomination of the Persian Gulf is the lynchpin of US strategy\u2026the presence of ISIL helps them in this goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki forced American forces out of Iraq by refusing to sign a Status of Forces Agreement allowing the forces to stay on permanently, US found its way back again, she added.<\/p>\n

The government of Maliki refused to grant immunity to thousands of US troops, who were to remain in Iraq beyond 2011 under the pretext of training local forces.<\/p>\n

The government had agreed to allow some of the US forces to stay longer for \u201ctraining\u201d purposes, but refused to shield them from prosecution. As a result, that residual force was never deployed.<\/p>\n

According to a 2008 bilateral security accord, known as the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), all the US troops left the country by December 2011.<\/p>\n

Ulrich said, \u201cIt\u2019s very interesting that ISIL has captured towns and regions that have been vital for the US policy in the region \u2013 one is the oil-rich [region], America\u2019s training and funding of Kurds, and Israel in fact started training of the Kurds in 2005 and the thinking that oil from Iraq would go to Israel, and it\u2019s happening.\u201d\u2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe for a moment that America has given up the idea of having Iraq and Syria and Iran under its full control,\u201d the independent researcher and writer empathized.\u201d (\u201c\u2018US raises ISIL specter to stay in Iraq\u2019\u201d, Press TV)\u00a0
\n<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bingo. The \u201ctoo sectarian\u201d trope is a fraud. This is all about Washington stationing combat troops where the oil is. It always gets back to oil, doesn\u2019t it? U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel summed it up perfectly in July, 2007, when he said:<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople say we\u2019re not fighting for oil. Of course we are. They talk about America\u2019s national interest. What the hell do you think they\u2019re talking about? We\u2019re not there for figs.\u201d (Washington\u2019s blog)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So how does Obama\u2019s bombing of ISIS jihadis outside of Ebril (N Iraq) fit with his earlier comments that he wouldn\u2019t help defend Iraq unless their was movement on the political front? (In other words, until Maliki was removed from office.)<\/p>\n

He sure changed his tune fast, didn\u2019t he? But, why?<\/p>\n

Oil, that\u2019s why.\u00a0 Let\u2019s put it this way: There are 10 reasons why Obama bombed ISIS positions outside of Ebril. They are:<\/p>\n

1\u2014Exxon Mobil<\/p>\n

2\u2014Chevron<\/p>\n

3\u2014Aspect Energy<\/p>\n

4\u2014Marathon Oil Corporation<\/p>\n

5\u2014Hillwood International Energy<\/p>\n

6\u2014Hunt Oil<\/p>\n

7\u2014Prime Oil<\/p>\n

8\u2014Murphy Oil<\/p>\n

9\u2014Hess Corporation<\/p>\n

10\u2014HKN Energy<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the message here? What is Obama telegraphing to ISIS about US policy?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s simple. \u201cYou can kill as many Arabs and Christians as you want, but if you lay a finger on even one oil well, we\u2019ll nuke you into oblivion.\u201d Isn\u2019t that the message?<\/p>\n

Of course, it is. By the way, the reason the US exited Iraq to begin with wasn\u2019t because Obama wanted to keep his campaign promise. Oh no. That was just public relations hype. The real reason was because Obama handed the Iraq Brief over to lunkhead Biden when he\u00a0first took office, and Biden flubbed the deal. Hard to believe, isn\u2019t it? Take a look at this blurb from the New Yorker:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was profiling Biden last month, his advisers argued \u2026that they had never favored Maliki, and had backed him because he won the support of a majority in Iraq. But that reading of history underplays Biden\u2019s activism. \u2026. Biden predicted that Maliki would sign on to a Status of Forces Agreement to keep U.S. troops on the ground. \u201cMaliki wants us to stick around because he does not see a future in Iraq otherwise,\u201d Biden said, according to the account. \u201cI\u2019ll bet you my vice presidency Maliki will extend the SOFA.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither of those predictions came true. Maliki did not deliver, and U.S. forces left Iraq in December, 2011. As the crisis deepened this spring, the White House did not openly disparage Maliki, but made it clear that it was ready for a change. By all estimates, that sentiment was long overdue, and this week, America\u2019s protracted divorce from Maliki is nearing completion. Obama has returned American military aircraft to the skies over Iraq, authorizing strikes to protect U.S. diplomatic missions and religious and ethnic minorities, and to prevent Sunni militants from advancing on the Kurdish city of Erbil. On Monday, another political sinkhole opened in Baghdad: the President nominated a new Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, to replace Maliki. But Maliki has refused to give up power; on television, he vowed to use legal action to challenge the decision, while security forces loyal to him were seen taking up positions around the city.\u201d (\u201cBreaking Up: Maliki and Biden<\/a>\u201c, The New Yorker)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read that passage over again; that\u2019s the whole ball of wax, right there. Biden botched the SOFA agreement, so Obama decided to get rid of Maliki. Soon after, the plan to replace Maliki with Haider al-Abadi was put into motion.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting, that Obama has been blasted in the media for more than a year for withdrawing the troops from Iraq. A simple Google search of \u201cMaliki Status of Forces agreement\u201d will produce hundreds of articles lambasting Obama as the man \u201cwho lost Iraq\u201d, or who \u201cabandoned Iraq\u201d, or the man who organized \u201cthe tragic withdrawal\u201d. To America\u2019s right wing pundits, the problem was never the war itself, but the way it ended. They blame Obama for everything that\u2019s gone wrong. That\u2019s why Obama wants to remove Maliki and deploy troops back to Iraq. It\u2019s\u00a0an attempt\u00a0to placate the right.<\/p>\n

Naturally, the fact that Obama, Biden, Kerry and everyone else in the administration has expressed their support for the nearly-unknown Abadi, has led to suspicions that US Intel agencies (and perhaps the State Department) have been acting behind the scenes to depose Maliki. But Obama vehemently denies any involvement. Check out this article in the Guardian:<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerican officials have denied participating in a plot to oust Iraq prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, despite a series of phone calls made by Barack Obama and Joe Biden to support the appointment of his successor\u2026..<\/p>\n

The Obama administration had become increasingly strident in its criticism of Maliki in recent weeks, accusing him of the current Islamic uprising by failing to govern in the interest of all Iraqis\u2026..Obama had \u201cinstructed his diplomats in Washington and Baghdad to find an alternative\u201d to Maliki. \u2026.(Obama) also dangled the prospect of direct US military support against the Islamic State, the separatists also known as Isis or Isil, if the putative new prime minister Haider al-Abadi succeeds in forming a lasting government.<\/p>\n

But officials rejected allegations on Monday that it was encouraging \u201cregime change\u201d, insisting instead that the US was merely supporting a constitutional process rather than favoring individual politicians in Baghdad.\u201d \u2026.(\u201cUS denies role in plot to oust Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki\u201d, Guardian)
\n<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let\u2019s summarize:<\/p>\n

Obama stepped up his criticism of Maliki in the last few weeks.<\/p>\n

Check.<\/p>\n

Obama blamed Maliki for the \u201ccurrent Islamic uprising\u201d which was nurtured by US Intel agencies that armed, trained and funded the respective wahhabi crackpots who then moved into Iraq.<\/p>\n

Check.<\/p>\n

Obama says the US will not help to defeat the jihadi invasion unless Maliki is replaced.<\/p>\n

Check.<\/p>\n

Obama told\u201d his diplomats in Washington and Baghdad to find an alternative\u201d to Maliki.<\/p>\n

Check.<\/p>\n

At the same time, US \u201cofficials rejected allegations on Monday that it was encouraging \u201cregime change\u201d, insisting instead that the US was merely supporting a constitutional process.\u201d<\/p>\n

What a joke. If it walks like a coup and quacks like a coup; it\u2019s a coup. It doesn\u2019t matter what Obama says. It doesn\u2019t matter what the media say. It\u2019s painfully obvious that the US is involved.<\/p>\n

On top of that, we have this from the New York Times:<\/p>\n

\u201cOther senior Obama administration officials said American representatives in Iraq had been increasingly and deeply involved in Baghdad discussions during the last 10 days to settle on an alternative to Mr. Maliki.\u201d (\u201cIraqis Nominate Maliki Successor, Causing Standoff\u201d, New York Times)\u00a0<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Isn\u2019t that an admission of guilt? If \u201csenior Obama administration officials\u201d had been huddling for the last ten days to decide on a successor to the current Prime Minister, then how is that different than Victoria Nuland plotting the removal of Ukrainian prime minister Viktor Yanukovych for US-puppet \u201cYats\u201d? It\u2019s the same thing, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s something else from the NYT that\u2019s worth mulling over:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was only during the past week that Mr. Abadi became a candidate. He is a onetime ally of Mr. Maliki\u2019s, and because Mr. Abadi is from the same party his candidacy became attractive, as it recognized the legitimacy of the election victory for Mr. Maliki\u2019s bloc in April\u2019s national elections.<\/p>\n

This is what \u201cencouraged them to make a coup against Maliki,\u201d said one of the Shiite negotiators, who asked to remain anonymous to discuss internal deliberations.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Can you believe what they\u2019re saying? So, it wasn\u2019t Abadi\u2019s position on the issues or his views on sectarianism that made him the \u201cpreferred\u201d candidate at all.\u00a0 He was chosen strictly on the basis that his candidacy had the greatest chance of success. That\u2019s it. This isn\u2019t democracy; it\u2019s a \u201cdump Maliki at all cost\u201d campaign orchestrated by the Obama troupe. That\u2019s how desperate these people are.<\/p>\n

But maybe Obama is right this time; is that what you are thinking, dear reader? After all, Maliki IS a vicious, iron-fisted tyrant who has fueled sectarian hatred and divisiveness. Maybe it would be better if he WAS gone. Maybe Obama is sincere in wanting (as the New York Times says) \u201cto preserve Iraq\u2019s cohesion while helping to stop ISIS\u2019 avowed goal of creating a monolithic Islamic caliphate that ignores national boundaries.\u201d<\/p>\n

If that\u2019s what you are thinking, you\u2019re wrong. Changing the man at the top, will not change the system. Nor does Washington want to change the system. The US wants a savage, remorseless tyrant, (Have you taken a look at Egypt lately?) they just want one that will follow orders, that\u2019s all. Maliki went off the reservation, so now he\u2019s getting his\u00a0pink slip. \u00a0That\u2019s all there is to it.<\/p>\n

The idea that Abadi will reunify Iraq is ridiculous. The de facto partitioning of Iraq has already taken place. It won\u2019t be reversed. In fact, this is what many in the political establishment (including Joe Biden) wanted from Day 1. A separate Kurdish state that will sell cheap oil to Israel and refuse to pass its oil revenues on to Baghdad, is already a reality, just as the borderless Sunni heartland (that will eventually take shape over the next few years) is a reality. Abadi will not alter these facts on the ground. Iraq is being torn apart by forces too powerful for him to contain or control. His function is merely to sign on the dotted line and allow the US to reopen its bases, redeploy its troops and get on with the business of empire.<\/p>\n

The United States does not want a strong, independent Iraq. The US wants oil. The US wants power. The US wants Arabs killing Arabs. The US wants to extinguish Arab identity, culture, pride, literature, science, poetry, etc; anything that could lead to a reemergence of Arab nationalism, anything that could lead to an independent, sovereign state, anything that could impede the looting of Arab countries.<\/p>\n

This is just the way that empire\u2019s work. Maliki got in Washington\u2019s way, so now Maliki is going to vanish. End of story.<\/p>\n

Whether he was \u201ctoo sectarian\u201d or not, doesn\u2019t make a damn bit of difference. His fate was sealed the moment he refused to sign the SOFA agreement.<\/p>\n

MIKE WHITNEY<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>lives in Washington state. He is a contributor to\u00a0Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion<\/a>\u00a0(AK Press).\u00a0Hopeless is also available in a\u00a0Kindle edition<\/a>.\u00a0He can be reached at\u00a0fergiewhitney@msn.com<\/a>.\u00a0This piece<\/a> was reprinted by RINF Alternative News<\/a> with permission or license.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mike Whitney\u00a0 RINF Alternative News The Obama administration\u00a0is pushing for\u00a0regime change in Iraq on the basis that current prime minister Nouri al Maliki is too sectarian. The fact is, however, that Maliki\u2019s abusive treatment of Sunnis never factored into Washington\u2019s decision to have him removed. Whether he has been \u201ctoo sectarian\u201d or not is completely […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":137119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[487,461],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-137118","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-breaking-news","8":"category-editorials"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137118"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137118\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/137119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}