The Iraqi government is working to keep jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from taking Baghdad, but terrorist expert Arnaud de Borchgrave says "it looks doubtful" that Iraq will be able to keep ISIS from reaching the capital city.
De Borchgrave told Ed Berliner on "MidPoint" on
Newsmax TV on Wednesday that he "can't see the new element taking over all of Baghdad from Maliki."
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De Borchgrave
wrote a column for Newsmax in which he put a large portion of the blame for the insurgency in Iraq on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for working to exclude Sunni Muslims from taking part in the Iraqi government.
He explains that Maliki is showing again that he can't be trusted.
Secretary of State John Kerry
met with Maliki on Monday and told him that he needed put aside divisions and make his government more inclusive.
"What's important to remember about Maliki is that Secretary Kerry goes to see him and says he has to broaden his base, and two days after Secretary Kerry leaves, he says 'no way, Jose. I'm not going to broaden my base, I'm going to keep it narrow," de Borchgrave explained.
"He's also got the support of the Iranians," he added. "The Iranians very cleverly have kept their influence on both sides of this emerging civil war, new civil war, so they could play it both ways."
The terrorist expert said that that is the reason that Maliki has said he won't broaden his base because "he's got the Iranians on his side."
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