BAGHDAD — Qais Al-Khazali, the Iran-aligned militia leader designated a global terrorist by the United States, is attempting to soften his image and expand his influence in Iraqi politics ahead of parliamentary elections. Khazali’s Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq movement aims to transform from an armed militia into a political force, seeking to secure a stronger role […]
iraq elections
Nouri al-Maliki poised to shape Iraq’s next leader
BAGHDAD – Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki continues to wield immense influence in Iraq’s political landscape, even as critics hold him responsible for deepening sectarian divisions and failing to prevent the Islamic State’s rise a decade ago. Now in his mid-70s, Maliki leads the powerful State of Law coalition, a Shi’ite Muslim bloc widely […]
International group warns against perils of turning Iraq into Saudi-Iran cold war battleground
Saudi Arabia should avoid turning Iraq into a “battleground in a cold war” with its regional rival Tehran, the International Crisis Group said on Tuesday. Iraq, located between Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and predominantly Shiite Iran, could undergo political change following an upset election victory by cleric Moqtada Sadr. The key populist Shiite leader, seen as […]