Maliki's Impact Blunted By Own Party's Fears

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki confers from Iraq with President Bush and other officials at the White House this week. (By Eric Draper -- White House Via Getty Images)

Maliki and his advisers are already mistrustful of new U.S. alliances with Sunni insurgents and tribal leaders who have turned against al-Qaeda in Iraq. Where the Bush administration sees a success story, Maliki and other Shiites worry that the United States is empowering groups still determined to overthrow their government.

"The policy of the American forces is to fight al-Qaeda even if they work with the Devil themselves," Suneid said. "These insurgents will become militias in the future. If they don't trust the government, then we should not arm them."

"Are we bringing the Baathists back?" said Abadi, referring to members of Hussein's now-disbanded party. "We don't want to get rid of al-Qaeda and replace them by other criminals."

Maliki is also losing some Shiite support. Earlier this year, the Fadhila Party withdrew its 15 members from his coalition. Followers of Sadr, Maliki's political benefactor, quit the cabinet and last month withdrew from parliament. Tensions were so high that senior Sadr leaders were publicly declaring that Maliki's government was nearing collapse. The Sadrists ended their boycott after Maliki promised to rebuild a Shiite shrine in Samarra, damaged in a recent bombing.

"The Dawa is looking after Dawa interests," said a Western diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because he works closely with the government. "Other Shiite parties are equally troubled by Maliki and Dawa."

Chalabi described Maliki as a capable leader but said, "The prime minister's office is dominated by party people, and others find it difficult to break through. That needs to change."

The top Sunni bloc, the Iraqi Accordance Front, has largely withdrawn from the government over frustrations with Maliki's leadership. Last month the Shiite-dominated parliament voted to oust Sunni speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani because of his fiery behavior, prompting an initial pullout. The Sunnis were further enraged by an arrest warrant for the Sunni culture minister, who is accused of responsibility for an assassination attempt against another Sunni legislator.

"Upsetting them now is not in the government's interests, because you are working towards a bigger goal," the senior Iraqi official said at the time, referring to Sunni legislators. "You don't need it, even if it is a legal issue."

Suneid disagreed. He said that Maliki cannot control the actions of parliament and that the warrant was a judicial matter. It was Dawa and other alliance members, he added, who persuaded the Sunnis to return to parliament last month.

But the Accordance Front bolted again Wednesday, leaving only the Sunni vice president and one of six cabinet members in place, and said Maliki had failed to release detainees who Sunni leaders say are unjustly imprisoned, remove militia members from the police force and meet other demands.

On the streets, Maliki and his government are becoming less relevant. Abdul Amir Ali is a Shiite shopkeeper in Baghdad's Karrada neighborhood and a Dawa party member. In an interview seven months ago, he brimmed with praise for Maliki.

Ali's allegiance is fraying. He struggles with electricity shortages, poor medical care and high fuel costs that have steadily worsened this year. Karrada, once considered a safe area, has become a magnet for suicide bombers and mortar attacks.

"Those who came to lead are only now learning the alphabets of leadership. They know how to wage a resistance, but to lead the country? This is difficult for them," said Ali, seated inside his sweltering shop last month.

He hasn't completely lost faith in Maliki, but Ali said he had expected his life to improve. "Now, it is as if Maliki doesn't exist. All parties are working for themselves," he said.