Mediaboss Marketing

BAGHDAD Inside the walls of his shaded villa in the heart of Baghdads fortified Green Zone, Nouri al-Maliki still greets his visitors in the same marble-floored office where he worked for eight years as prime minister.

As one of the countrys three vice presidents, he now holds a largely ceremonial position in the government of his successor, Haidar al-Abadi.

But whether Maliki has given up his quest for power is increasingly in question as he sets about widely publicized battlefield tours, meetings with tribal elders and visits abroad.

[Maliki steps aside, easing Iraqs political crisis]

In an interview at his villa, he denied desire to reclaim his former position and pledged support for Abadi, who six months into the job is attempting to quell the chaos convulsing Iraq. Maliki has been widely blamed for much of it, with his failure to reach out to Sunnis and his policies, widely seen as sectarian.

But he does not rule out that he could one day return.

Based on my popular support base, which still exists and is strong, its possible, he said, indicating that he is setting his sights on Iraqs next election, due in 2018.

Legally and constitutionally, its possible, he said. But its the Iraqi peoples choice.

Malikis looming presence poses a challenge for Abadi as he attempts to win back ground from Islamic State extremists and repair rifts with Iraqs Sunnis and Kurds. It comes as an offensive to retake the city of Tikrit has highlighted the premiers lack of control over the Shiite volunteers and militias that are leading the fight.

Maliki still has a role, and hes not finished, said Mowaffak al-Rubaie, a lawmaker from the former prime ministers State of Law bloc.

See the article here:
Iraqs former leader still looms large months after his ouster

TIKRIT, Iraq, March 31 (UPI) -- The city of Tikrit, Iraq, has been secured from Islamic State forces occupying the center of the city, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced Tuesday.

The strategic city of 260,000, located 86 miles from the Iraqi capital of Baghdad and on the road between Baghdad and Mosul, has been the site of fighting since March. 2 between IS forces, a coalition of Iraqi troops,police, Shiite militia groups and Sunni tribal members. Although suburban Tikrit fell easily, several hundred IS members controlled the downtown part of the city until this week.

The assault on Tikrit is Iraq's largest government military operation thus far to contain IS.

"Our security forces have reached the center of Tikrit and they have liberated the southern and western sides and they are moving towards the control of the whole city," Abadi said in a statement Tuesday which also credited U.S. airstrikes. Fighter planes have bombed suspected IS targets in the area since Wednesday of last week.

The Salaheddin province government building in Tikrit was recaptured, Gov. Raad al-Juburi said, noting Iraqi flags have replaced IS banners on government buildings in the city center.

The military forces fighting alongside the regular Iraqi army played an instrumental role in the capture of the city but have come under scrutiny for alleged abuses. While IS atrocities have been well noted, a United Nations report found the opposing side "carried out extrajudicial killings, torture, abductions and forcibly displaced a large number of people."

Related UPI Stories

2015 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Popular Photos

Notable deaths of 2014

View original post here:
Most of Tikrit, Iraq, freed from Islamic State

Iraq PM declares 'liberation' of Tikrit from IS

Tikrit (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraq said security and allied forces backed by US-led coalition aircraft "liberated" the city of Tikrit on Tuesday, its biggest victory yet in the fight against Islamic State jihadists.

The operation to retake the hometown of former president Saddam Hussein began on March 2 and had looked bogged down before Iraqi forces made rapid advances in the past 48 hours.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi "announces the liberation of Tikrit and congratulates Iraqi security forces and popular volunteers on the historic milestone," his official Twitter account said.

He was referring to paramilitary groups which played a major role in the fighting to retake Tikrit, a Sunni Arab city which IS had controlled since it captured swathes of Iraq in June.

A spokesperson for the US-led coalition told AFP however that "parts of the city remain under (IS's) control and there is still work to be done."

In a statement to AFP just minutes before Abadi's tweet, his spokesman Rafid Jaboori said: "Iraqi forces reached the centre of Tikrit, raised the Iraqi flag and are now clearing the city."

The provincial government headquarters was retaken on Monday and on Tuesday the Iraqi tricolour replaced the black IS flag on the building.

In scenes captured in an AFP video, jubilant fighters can be seen tearing up the black flag amid the extensive destruction in the city.

"We are in the centre of Tikrit. The city and all administrative buildings were completely liberated," said one of them, policeman Bahaa Abdullah Nasif.

The rest is here:
Iraq PM says Tikrit 'liberated' after month-long battle

Iraq, and other wars: The challenges and risks of reporting from the field
Since a Canadian Armed Forces mission in Iraq was approved in October, 2014 what is now known as Operation IMPACT there have been few media reports from the field. Is that due to a...

By: Canadian International Council

Original post:
Iraq, and other wars: The challenges and risks of reporting from the field - Video

Iraq resumes offensive to recapture Tikrit
Iraqi forces mount an offensive to try to oust Islamic State militants from the city of Tikrit. Nathan Frandino reports. Subscribe: http://smarturl.it/reuterssubscribe More updates and breaking...

By: Reuters

Link:
Iraq resumes offensive to recapture Tikrit - Video