After nearly 20 years in power, Iraq’s ruling elites seem detached, helpless and desperate for their oil-rich nation. As their counterparts in the region struggle to transform their countries into prosperous global hubs, Iraq has fallen under their rule into a place of endemic corruption, instability, societal fractures and economic stagnation.

While the leaders of many neighboring countries unveil ambitious multibillion-dollar megaprojects, Iraq has remained bruised by the gruesome consequences of its mismanagement, cronyism and kleptocratic rule.

He is also haunted by a deepening political crisis that has recently escalated. The latest twist in political wrangling over the formation of a new government in Iraq has been sparked by leaked audio recordings attributed to former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki.

In the “Malikileaks” recordings, Al-Malaki is heard to claim that his arch-rival Muqtada Al-Sadr, whose political faction, the Sadrist leanings, emerged as the biggest winner in Iraq’s October parliamentary elections, is backed by Great Britain. He swears he will fight the prominent Shia cleric in his stronghold in the holy city of Najaf.

In a later recording, Al-Maliki, currently head of the Pro-Iran Coordination Framework Bloc, accuses Al-Sadr of a campaign of kidnappings and killings against Sunnis across Iraq during the years of violence. sectarianism that followed the US-led invasion in 2003.

In another recording, he accuses Sunni leaders such as Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Al-Halbousi and Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani of being “in partnership” with Al-Sadr and warns that this three-way alliance will lead Iraq into a ” dangerous zone”.

“Iraq is on the brink of a devastating war from which no one will emerge unscathed unless the project of Muqtada Al-Sadr, Masoud Barzani and Mohamed Al-Halbousi is defeated,” Al-Maliki said.

Al-Maliki is also heard saying in an audio recording that he told interim Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi that he does not recognize the authority of the military and police and is ready to use force against Al-Sadr.

“I know that Al-Sadr will target me first because I destroyed him. But I will not leave the Shiites and Iraq in the hands of Muqtada Al-Sadr. -not be able to do it, but I can,” boasted Al-Maliki.

Iraqi justice announced that it would launch an investigation into the voice recordings after Al-Maliki dismissed them as fakes. Many people closely associated with Al-Maliki have confirmed the authenticity of the recordings, with some claiming to have heard him make such claims before.

During his tenure between 2006 and 2014, Al-Maliki fought against Al-Sadr’s armed wing, Al-Mahdi’s army, for control of Shiite politics, killing hundreds of his followers and imprisoning many. ‘others. The relationship between the two groups has since taken on a vengeful dimension, and their rivalries have deepened.

After Al-Sadr withdrew his supporters from the Iraqi parliament earlier this year and many of Al-Maliki’s supporters took their seats, the latter stepped up his efforts to push the Shia Coordination Framework Bloc to appoint him to the post of Prime Minister.

As expected, the leaks sparked outrage among Sadrists, but Al-Sadr himself was quick to urge his followers not to “fall into sedition”. “Never mind the leaks. We don’t care about him,” Al-Sadr said in a statement.

However, Al-Sadr demanded that Al-Maliki quit politics and urged the former prime minister’s political allies in the Coordination Framework Bloc and his tribe to denounce his remarks.

Many other politicians have expressed dismay, and some fear the leaks will deepen Iraq’s 10-month-long government crisis. Ali Al-Allak, a key member of Al-Maliki’s Dawa party, urged him to resign from the party leadership if the records turn out to be authentic.

The registration controversy has further heightened political tensions in Iraq, as the country remains in a stalemate ten months after elections that failed to appoint a new president or prime minister.

The audio leaks also coincided with a significant deterioration in security after Turkish artillery pounded a village in northern Iraq and killed nine tourists and injured at least 23 people, including children.

Mobile phone videos taken at the time of the attack at a water park where tourists from southern Iraq had sought respite from the scorching summer heat showed horrifying images of dead bodies and wounded being transported in pickup trucks to hospitals as the sound of gunfire could be heard at the site.

The assault sparked anti-Turkish protests in Iraq and protesters gathered outside Turkish-owned buildings and Turkish consular offices in Baghdad and other cities, angrily demanding accountability from Ankara and burning flags turks.

The Iraqi government has summoned Turkey’s ambassador to Baghdad to launch an official protest. He recalled his head of diplomacy in Ankara and said he would file a formal complaint with the UN Security Council over the Turkish attack.

Turkey denied involvement and said forces belonging to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan (PKK) which is fighting for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey, had led the strike.

Amid heightened tensions days after the attack, violent reactions followed as several rockets and bomb-laden drones were used to strike Turkish outposts in northern Iraq. Threats have also been made that more attacks will occur if Turkey maintains its military presence in the region.

In recent months Turkey has stepped up operations along its 300km border with Iraq, saying it is battling PKK fighters it accuses of relying on rear bases and military camps. hidden in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan to carry out subversive activities in Turkey.

The Malikileaks and now the Turkish attack are inseparable when it comes to how the performance and effectiveness of political leaders are perceived in Iraq. In both cases, the Iraqi ruling elites have shown alarming inefficiency and incompetence in all areas, bordering on vulgarity and viciousness.

Al-Maliki’s recordings are an exemplary episode of lewd behavior by Iraqi politicians, showing how Al-Maliki portrayed his rivals and allies in a display of self-promotion and bombast that rocked those who listened to the audio recordings. in a place of near madness.

Al-Maliki is no stranger to controversy, but his vulgarity in these recordings points to a painful truth that reveals the ugly reality of Iraqi political elites. They display an insatiable thirst for power as well as a routine callousness and disregard for the interests of their battered nation.

During his tenure, Al-Maliki was well known for doing everything he could to intimidate anyone who challenged his increasingly autocratic regime to maintain his grip on power. It has even led some of his closest allies to compare him to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

In the recordings, Al-Maliki, who tried during his tenure to consolidate his power and prevent his opponents from ruling the country, can be heard betting on an intra-Shia war to bring him back to power, but this time as as absolute leader. .

Regarding Turkey’s repeated attacks, the killing of innocent civilians, the destruction of villages and the systematic encroachment on Iraq’s sovereignty, the Iraqi leadership has shown abject incompetence in the defense of their country and the protection of its citizens.

When Iraq’s parliament convened on Saturday to question the government on its response to Turkish aggression, Defense Minister Jimaa Enad and army commanders told lawmakers that Iraq lacked the capabilities soldiers to stand up to Turkey.

Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein also told parliament that his ministry had counted more than 22,700 Turkish violations against Iraq since 2018, which were met with 296 diplomatic protests.

Iraqi national security adviser Qassim Al-Aaraji previously urged Iraqis who stage anti-Turkish protests to exercise restraint, saying they ‘should not be pressured by calls to sabotage our foreign relations’ .

Post-Saddam Iraq’s diplomatic and defense strategies have been calamitous for the country and have had devastating domestic political consequences, and such statements by policymakers and strategists show the worst political mistakes a country can make.

The Iraqi leadership has disappeared in various internal and external directions, and the way it is handling current challenges indicates that it has surpassed all levels of mediocrity in terms of weakness, selfishness, incompetence and defeatism.

The Malikileaks and Turkey’s mishandling of violations of the country’s sovereignty have shown that Iraq utterly lacks the kind of effective, visionary and courageous leaders it needs to meet the increasingly complex challenges facing the country. confronted while serving as an example to his people.

As the country’s political stalemate deepens, the key question now is whether Iraq can find a new leadership capable of meeting the expectations of its people. At the moment, poor political leadership and bad governance are the biggest obstacles to peace, stability and development in Iraq.

*A version of this article appeared in the July 28, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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