Obama, Iraq’s Maliki pledge to combat al Qaida aggression

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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/11/01/207268/obama-iraqs-maliki-pledge-to-combat.html

Obama, Iraq’s Maliki pledge to combat al Qaida aggression
By Hannah Allam and Anita Kumar — McClatchy Washington Bureau
Published: November 1, 2013

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki met Friday to discuss how their nations might “push back” against a recent spate of violence in Iraq by al Qaida.

Neither leader made any new announcements for U.S. commitments, but Obama pledged to continue counterterrorism support and help build an “inclusive” and “democratic” Iraq.

“Although Iraq's made significant progress in areas like oil production and a range of other reforms that have taken place, unfortunately al Quida has still been active and has grown more active recently,” the president said after the meeting. “We had a lot of discussion about how we can work together to push back against that terrorist organization.”

To those who oppose American military strikes in Syria, Maliki’s visit to Washington to seek more help for his fight against al Qaida’s resurgence might appear as a timely cautionary tale, a reminder of how a U.S. intervention can backfire and result in fragile states that are vulnerable to the Middle East’s darkest forces. In that respect, the lesson makes Obama’s reluctance to wade into Syria look prudent.