Maliki Bid to Block Successor Escalates Crisis in Iraq

[Purveyor]

By Inal Ersan Aug 12, 2014 10:19 AM ET

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki chaired a meeting of military officers today in the latest sign that he won’t hand power to designated successor Haidar al-Abadi.

Maliki ordered his commanders to keep out of the political crisis even as his militiamen and soldiers fanned out across the capital, Baghdad, according to footage of the meeting that were shown on state-sponsored Al-Iraqiya TV.

The embattled premier said Islamic militants might attempt to wear stolen government uniforms and take advantage of the chaos and told his commanders to purge the forces of any suspected conspirators.

In a late-night address on state TV yesterday, Maliki called Abadi’s appointment by President Fouad Masoum “legally worthless” and defied pressure from some fellow Shiite political figures and U.S. President Barack Obama to step aside.