Despite Trump's warning, Iraq's Shiite bloc backs Maliki for president
Trump branded al-Maliki a "very bad choice" for Iraq, arguing that his previous presidentship, between 2006 and 2014, brought only "poverty and total chaos"
Iraq's alliance of Shi'ite political factions reaffirmed on Saturday its support for former premier Nouri al-Maliki to lead the next government, despite a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump that Washington would no longer help Iraq if Maliki returned to power.
The Coordination Framework bloc, which holds a majority in parliament, picked Maliki, Iraq's first elected prime minister after a U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, as its nominee for the post following an election.
In a post on his Truth Social platform last week, Trump branded al-Maliki a "very bad choice" for Iraq, arguing that his previous presidentship, between 2006 and 2014, brought only "poverty and total chaos."
"Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq and, if we are not there to help, Iraq has ZERO chance of Success, Prosperity, or Freedom," Trump wrote.
"The choice of the prime minister is a purely Iraqi constitutional matter and should proceed without foreign interference," the bloc said in a statement, adding that it sought "balanced relations with international partners based on mutual respect."
Trump's threats are the starkest example yet of the Republican president's campaign to curb Iran-linked groups' influence in Iraq, which has long walked a tightrope between its two closest allies, Washington and Tehran.