Senior Iranian Official Congratulates New Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi

[Purveyor]

Source: Guardian UK

A senior Iranian official with close links to the country's president and supreme leader has offered his congratulations to Iraq's prime minister-designate, suggesting Tehran has abandoned former ally Nouri al-Maliki amid the current Sunni militant insurgency.

Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran's powerful Supreme National Security Council, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency congratulating the Iraqi people and their leaders for choosing Haider al-Abadi as their new prime minister.

Abadi, a veteran of Iraq's post-Saddam Hussein governments, was appointed on Monday after the country's president effectively deposed Maliki in an effort to break the political deadlock that has paralysed the government while jihadists sweep through the north of the country.

Shamkhani, a close ally of President Hassan Rouhani and a representative of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the council, said Iran supported "the legal process for choosing the new Iraqi prime minister".

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/12/senior-iranian-official-iraq-haider-al-abadi-prime-minister

[ancianita]

1. Apparently, spelled Haider al-Ibadi by Al Jazeera.

Offering this, too, just to help.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Kurds, who are fighting Islamic State group fighters who have advanced towards Erbil, capital of the Kurdish region, over the last two weeks, said that they were not opposed to Ibadi.

Kurdish leaders added, however, that Ibadi must fix persisting problems between the Kurdish region and the central government, particularly arrangements over oil and gas revenues and the annual budget.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/08/iraq-shia-maliki-ibadi-new-pm-20148126153597438.html

I've looked for a statement from ISIS but can't find anything. They probably don't care who the Iraqi PM is. They're still coming.

[cosmicone]

2. Iran's endorsement is a kiss of death

The Saudis and Qataris funding ISIS are doing so out of fear of Iran and they will probably redouble their aid to ISIS.

That is a deal with the devil out of fear of Iran, a devil that may end up consuming the monarchies in those countries.

The world would be better off if we had backed a Sunni general from the former Republican Guard. They knew how to keep Iraq peaceful and stable.

[roamer65]

3. Tehran has a new lackey.

The change at PM will not solve a thing.