Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will return to power for another four-year term after Iraqi lawmakers working late into the night Wednesday agreed on a tentative deal to form a new government, lawmakers said.
The deal breaks an eight-month impasse that paralyzed the government, encouraged insurgent attacks and rattled potential foreign investors. The Sunni-backed secular coalition, which had vehemently opposed al-Maliki, finally resigned itself to serving in his government along with the other main political groups.
Even after a lengthy stand off, the parties did not resort to bullets. The Sunni Arabs, who made noises about violence, ultimately did not decide to be stupid.
My main worry is where Moqtada al Sadr fits in. The three-time insurrenctionists deserves to die in prison--or just die--so I worry about his role. Hopefully he can be marginalized and discredited.
Now lets get Iraq moving forward. They can be a beacon of democracy that could, in time, leverage far better things for the people of the Middle East.
