Iraq faces double crisis

In addition, Iraq’s Prime Minister race has become fiercer putting Iraq in an increasingly difficult situation.

The rapid failure of government troops against the insurgents of the Islamic State has made Iraq one of the most violent countries in the region.

Powerless government

The Islamic State has occupied several regions in Iraq by taking advantage of Iraq’s political deadlock and tensions between parties. It is expanding its influence in the north by mobilizing tanks and armored vehicles seized from thousands of deserting soldiers. Thousands of people including Christians and Yazidi ethnic minorities who are non-Islamic have had to flee.

During their attacks, the Islamic State rebels killed 500 Yazidi civilians. Iraq’s Minister of Human Rights Mohammed Shia Al Sudani charged the rebels with brutal acts against civilians and committing unforgivable crimes.

The attacked regions now face a humanitarian disaster. On August 3, the Islamic State occupied Iraq’s biggest dam in Mosul without any resistance from government troops. This victory of the IS has increased the chance of the collapse of the Baghdad government because it will enable the IS to capture more cities.

Almost every day the police report with kidnappings, bomb attacks and murders carried out by rebels in many cities, towns and villages.

The US has responded with air strikes, the first attack since the US pulled its troops out of Iraq in 2011. The air strikes destroyed a large quantity of IS weapons, while this may slow the IS down.

Struggle in political arena

On August 11 Iraqi President Fouad Massoum appointed Deputy Parliament Speaker Al Abadi the new Prime Minister to set up a new government while ruling Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki is still in power. Abadi’s appointment to minimize the internal split has been supported by the US, the UN and other countries.

Meanwhile, Maliki is widely blamed for bad policies and dictatorial governance. During his 8 years in power, he did not pursue national reconciliation but rather deepened the splits between the 3 ethnic-religious tribes in Iraq. The insurgence of the IS has revealed the Iraqi government’s weakness. Iraqi leaders have failed to reconstruct the country or deal with violence and conflict.

Maliki hasn’t approved Abadi’s appointment and says he will not give up his efforts to pursue a third term. This announcement has worsened the crisis in Iraq at a time when Iraq needs unity and consensus to combat the IS’s holy war.

In the 11 years since the US overthrew President Saddam Hussein Iraq has not been able to rid itself of violence. Political squabbling has made it extremely difficult for Iraq to extricate itself from the current crisis.