US backs Iraqi president against Al-Maliki's attack

The US yesterday said that it is supports the Iraqi President Fuad Masoum after Prime Minister Nouri Al-Malki announced on state television he would be filing a complaint against him.

“The United States fully supports President Fuad Masoum in his role as guarantor of the Iraqi Constitution,” State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.

Harf echoed an earlier comment made on Twitter by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Brett McGurk.

Al-Maliki, who has been under huge pressure to give up his bid for a third term in office, announced his plans to file a complaint in a surprise address early this morning.

He alleged that the newly elected president had violated the constitution twice, including by failing to task him to form a new government.

It is reported that security forces that support Al-Maliki were deployed in unusually high numbers across strategic locations in Baghdad overnight.

“We reaffirm our support for a process to select a prime minister who can represent the aspirations of the Iraqi people by building a national consensus and governing in an inclusive manner,” Harf said.

“We reject any effort to achieve outcomes through coercion or manipulation of the constitutional or judicial process,” she added.

“The United States stands ready to support a new and inclusive government, particularly in the fight against ISIL,” Harf said, referring to Sunni militants who have launched a powerful offensive in northern Iraq.

“We believe such a new and inclusive government is the best way to unify the country against ISIL, and to enlist the support of other countries in the region and international community.

Meanwhile, the Anadolu news agency said that an informed source told its correspondent that the crisis caused by the lack of agreement on the choice of prime minister has almost come to an end.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that there is initial agreement to nominate first deputy parliament speaker Haider al-Abadi for the position instead of Al-Maliki.