Secretary of State John Kerry, on a surprise one-day visit to Baghdad, pressed Iraqi officials Sunday to cut off the flow of Iranian arms to the Syrian government and warned that future American aid to Iraq could be at risk if it doesn't.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, second from right, prepares to leave Baghdad on Sunday after meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's willingness to confront Tehran over its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, U.S. officials said, has emerged as a crucial litmus test for U.S.-Iraqi relations a decade after Washington toppled strongman Saddam Hussein.
The U.S.'s influence in Baghdad, and its leverage over Mr. Maliki, appears to be dwindling as the Obama administration prepares to shrink its diplomatic and security presence in Iraq to around 5,000 people by the end of 2013 from over 16,000.
Iran, meanwhile, has emerged as perhaps Mr. Maliki's closest regional ally as the Shiite-dominant governments in Baghdad and Tehran share a growing alarm about the largely Sunni insurgency that is seeking to overthrow Mr. Assad.
The Obama administration shares these concerns and believes that some of the Syrian rebels have direct links to al Qaeda's leadership in both Pakistan and Iraq. As a result, the U.S. has so far refused to supply arms directly to Mr. Assad's opponents, despite growing pressure from Washington's Middle East allies to do so.
Iraqi analysts said Sunday that the U.S.'s often contradictory position on Syria has undermined Washington's hopes of gaining Mr. Maliki's cooperation.
"What clout have they got? I don't know," said Ghassan Attiyah, an Iraqi political commentator, referring to the U.S.'s leverage over Baghdad. "The presence of Kerry in Baghdad is very vital. The Americans should use their soft power to keep al-Maliki holding the stick in the middle."
Iraq's government offered no public commitment Sunday following Mr. Kerry's visit to more directly challenge Iran. In a potentially telling sign, no Iraqi official appeared alongside the U.S. secretary of state at his Baghdad news conference. For more details visit the source : [wsj]
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