Iraqi politicians are warning about foreign intervention in their political affairs. There is no official or political candidate who does not warn of this “evil, which harms sovereignty. Some of them issue these warnings after political meetings in Tehran, Damascus, Cairo or Ankara, or after an hours-long meeting with an American military leader, or official from the CIA. Let's get into the details even further. The Supreme Islamic Council was formed in Tehran, and carried out attacks, from Iran, to destabilize the former regime. After Baghdad fell to the Americans, its members returned to Iraq. Iranian leaders continue to be consulted on all matters, big and small. The Supreme Islamic Council calls for not giving regional powers the opportunity to intervene in Iraqi affairs. Moqtada Sadr has resided in Qom for the last three years, to complete his religious studies and become a marja (leading Shiite spiritual authority). He makes the same call, and adds that he is the only one who represents an independent Arabist current. He urges the marjas of Najaf to abandon their silence and neutrality, and intervene in political affairs, to settle matters among rival Shiite movements, believing that they will rule in his favor; otherwise, he would not have demanded such a thing. Nouri al-Maliki, who has completed his constitutional term as prime minister, refuses to compromise unless he is given a second term. He makes statements, after visiting Iran, in which he warns against falling under the influence of other states. He has attacked Syria several times for its “flagrant” intervention in Iraqi affairs, accusing the country of supporting terrorists. Iyad Allawi, the victim of an assassination attempt by the former regime in London, has forged strong ties with Washington and London. He sees no solution for the Iraqi crisis other than getting rid of dependency on other countries. The Kurds have established Israeli intelligence centers since their independence in their region (the Kurds deny it and the Israelis confirm it). American troops deployed from their territory to occupy Baghdad; the Americans formed an umbrella for protecting the Kurds from the former regime; the Kurds now call for rejecting any submission to foreign pressure, and excluding neighboring countries, especially Turkey, from Iraqi domestic affairs. Moreover, the United States, which has spent more than seven years occupying Iraq, and continues to keep more than 100,000 troops there, not to speak of the tens of thousands of mercenaries from private security companies, and which has built the biggest American embassy in the world in Baghdad, calls on the Iraqis to not permit any state to intervene in their affairs. Tehran is happy to see America become bogged down in its “defeat” in Iraq, and is working hard to boost its influence in this country, whether through people, parties or companies. Iran is threatening America that it will respond in Iraq, if attacked. It is competing with the religious center of Najaf to attract the loyalty of the Shiites, in religious terms, to Qom. Tehran is also calling for non-interference in Iraqi affairs. In fact, we are seeing in Iraq what we experienced in Lebanon: sects and religions, and local leaders, each with its own foreign extensions. The only thing they have in common is the struggle over shares of power, even when the national unity government is formed, based on each side's interests and its share of power, wealth and corruption, with foreign support. Thus, no one believes them when they claim to be preserving independence, no matter how loudly they speak, and repeat the slogan of sovereignty. A government will not be formed in Iraq, until it corresponds with the interests of certain regional and other countries, and when each country will be reassured that those in power will guarantee these interests.
