Iraq Press Roundup

Washington has warned Baghdad of serious consequences should Iraqi lawmakers fail to move ahead with the Status of Forces Agreement set to replace the expiring U.N. mandate for Iraq.

The independent Sot al-Iraq wire service said Monday that members of the Dawa Party of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki are pushing for amendments to the agreement in order to appease Iran.

The SOFA forces Maliki to oppose the Dawa Party

Maliki had consulted the top Shiite cleric in Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on the agreement at the height of the negotiations. When Sistani said the matter is up to the Iraqi people and lawmakers in Baghdad, officials consulted the top Shiite cleric in Iran, Ali Hoseini Khamenei. Sistani played the game wrong, the newspaper said. He should have sanctioned the agreement, allowing lawmakers to "stitch its holes" in order to avoid further conflict.

Failure to pass the agreement will have a negative impact on Maliki's political influence and the people of Iraq who waited patiently for five years for an end to the occupation.

But by moving against the agreement, the religious leaders in Iraq would lose credibility in the eyes of the people if the security situation deteriorates. Meanwhile, Maliki has his political legacy to consider in light of the measure.

Maliki needs to show leadership and move against his own party by making the righteous decision to sign the agreement in accordance with the wishes of the Iraqi people.

Members of the Iraqi Parliament are using the Status of Forces Agreement as a tool to gain political influence, al-Bayyna newspaper of the Iraqi Hezbollah said Monday.

The disease called SOFA

The sensitive nature of the long-term security arrangement with Washington requires calm discussion among Iraqi lawmakers. The articles of the provision should, as a means to secure the future of Iraq, eliminate those who use it as a political tool.

Several Iraqi lawmakers are simply following the party line when they discuss their position on the security measure. Others simply back it as a means to restore international relations, while others see it as a means to hijack the wealth of the country, the newspaper said.

The SOFA has become an infectious disease afflicting Iraqi politicians, as several have shifted their positions in support of or in opposition to the agreement several times.

At the end of the day, however, the agreement will be passed with or without the support of the Iraqi people.

Al-Ittihad newspaper of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan said Monday the uphill battle facing the U.S. Republican Party and the upcoming presidential elections are influencing politics in Baghdad and negotiations on the Status of Forces Agreement.

The SOFA and the hesitation of the political blocs

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was able to use the long-term security agreement with Washington as a bargaining chip, though he did not use it correctly, the newspaper said. Under pressure from the ruling Shiite United Iraqi Alliance, Maliki sought the advice of the revered Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on dealing with the measure.

Sistani said the matter should be left to the Iraqi people and the lawmakers in Baghdad, prompting Maliki to send the measure on to Parliament in the expectation that it would see swift approval.

Iraqi politics are not that simple, the newspaper said. The Kurdish Alliance of the Kurdish Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan backed the measure, while the Sunni Accordance Front waited on the sidelines to see which position would bring the bloc the most political power. The Shiite Iraqi National List bloc, however, weighed in, saying lawmakers should wait for the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.

For its part, the ruling UIA showed reluctance to move ahead with the agreement out of fear of the political consequences should the deal bring failure to the country.

The Status of Forces Agreement, in its current form, is the best option, considering the current situation. There will be fewer other choices left for the Iraqi people, especially if the Democratic candidate, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, wins the presidential election.