Martin McPhillips:

“Maliki’s interests lie in the Arab world, not the Persian world, regardless of his Shi’a association.”

My apologies for brevity but duties call. I would simply point out that for the majority of Arabs, being Sunni is integral to being an Arab. Shiite Islam is apostasy, and this draws Dawa and SCIRI closer to their sponsors in Iran than the rest of the Arab world. Let me put forwardd an illustration of this dynamic: why do the Saudis keep insisting that the Iraqi government is nothing but Iranian stooges? Maliki consults often with Ahmadinejad and Khamenei,which is why the Bush admin. have bugged his office (Woodward’s new book reports this.) Can you name a Sunni Arab politician he meets with on a regular basis?

Wadeusaf:

“Unfortunately I have not found the hard evidence to support your POV on Malaki. What I have seen in Al Sadr’s decline is an in your face statement opposed to Iran hegemony in Iraq, and Iranian interference in Arab affairs clearly served via another surgical death in Damascus.”

Don’t just look at Sadr, look at SCII (SCIRI), the Shiite Islamist party that is deeply allied with Maliki’s Dawa. They are cousins and parliamentary partners. SCII was created as an outright Khomeneist party and their upper echelons are still attached to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The Iranians have multiple channels and forms of influence within the Shiite Governemnt in Iraq, including Ahmed Chalabi, who is a snake.

Check out the NYSun article from July 22nd entitled “Maliki Bets that Obama Will Prevail”. From that article will learn:

“We are opposed to the hot button issues like immunity for contractors and the granting of Iraqi air space and the granting of permanent bases. Ahmad Chalabi has said this on a regular basis,” Mr. Brooke said.

A scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and one of the architects of the surge, Fred Kagan, said that Mr. Maliki has come under some political pressure to oppose a status of forces agreement from the Iranians, who he said have launched an information operation.”

Fred Kagan even knows this, but Wretchard hasn’t heard it yet. As to whether the Dawa (The Call to Islam) Party is an Islamist party or not, I suggest that this is easily ascertained. Simply read up on their history, where they were during the Iran/Iraq War and what they believe in, what their party platform is. Don’t forget that Sharia has been enshrined in the Iraqi constitution.

I don’t see why Americans should die to protect a Sharia/Islamist state.