Why Does Maliki’s Stance Provoke More Disgust Than Anyone Else's?

By: Saeb Khalil

When he became Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the first thing Maliki discovered was that his army (the state army) did not listen to him, and that it took its orders from the US military command!

When Bush visited him, Maliki publicly complained to him about Petraeus, stating that he controlled everything and that he (Maliki)—despite being the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as he noted—could not move a single company from its position without obtaining the approval of the US military! Bush’s only response was to tell him to calm down!

When the Americans brought in their ISIS assets and caused him the ultimate embarrassment, that army did not move to stop them. His American "friends" refused to supply his army with the necessary ammunition and weapons, despite the billions of dollars already paid to them for those arms.

The army's actions were not limited to retreating from cities in front of ISIS militants who were armed only with light weapons and pickup trucks; they also left behind their heavy and light weaponry in almost every location they withdrew from!

We were following these events with deep anxiety, sympathizing with him and defending him, as it was clear he was trying to do something but was completely helpless.

Later, had it not been for the "weapons outside the framework of the state"—which were rapidly assembled thanks to the nobility of the resisting Iranians and Lebanese—Iraq would not have found a single weapon to defend itself. The "state's weapons" were in the hands of ISIS, and the army commanders were taking orders from the ISIS embassy!

When Iraq escaped by divine intervention, mercy, and the bravery of the Hashd heroes, Maliki tried to hold accountable the officers and commanders who had retreated without orders from him or their leadership. He discovered that the "state" he ruled did not possess a single independent institution of its own, and that all institutions were controlled by the Embassy. Consequently, he failed to hold even a single traitorous officer accountable. In fact, the majority of them were promoted and occupied more critical and sensitive positions, as all appointments were being made by the ISIS embassy!

When I remember these events and look at the face of the man in the picture before me—who knew the reality of the "state," the "army," and "weapons outside the state" better than anyone else, and who saw firsthand how the "state" could fall into the hands of those tasked with destroying it, how the army takes orders from its enemy, how the "state's weapons" transfer to the hands of its enemies through the treason of its officers, and how its traitors are subsequently promoted to the highest ranks...

...And here he is today, joining their front against his own country, regurgitating their lies. He is the very person who knew that nothing saved the "state" except "weapons outside the state"—an entity Maliki originally claimed credit for establishing!

A shiver of disgust and repulsion runs through me as I look at his face! This slimy, volatile creature, trembling with terror, is the one who experienced that reality most intimately. Therefore, he was the person most qualified to help the Iraqi people comprehend the reality of what is happening today by retelling them the truth of what transpired during his rule to help them see clearly. Instead, he preferred to become just another megaphone for his country's enemies, brazenly demanding the "confinement of weapons to the hands of the state!"

#Iraq #America #Confinement_of_Weapons_to_the_State