Prime Minister Maliki, at least in words, sees this fight coming:
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared Saturday that the theft of public money and other forms of corruption were problems no less pressing than the sectarian ethnic strife that brought Iraq to the brink of collapse.
Maliki's remarks suggested that corruption would be a pivotal issue in parliamentary elections expected by year's end, and they came amid growing criticism in parliament. The topic has dominated newspaper headlines and emerges in many conversations in Baghdad's streets.
I hope we stay involved to help fight this battle. It is crucial to entrenching democracy in Iraq that will outlast the presence of our troops.
