US President Donald Trump warned Iraq on Tuesday (January 27th) against reinstating former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, saying Washington would withdraw support if he returned to power.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was “hearing” that Iraq could be making a “very bad choice” by bringing Maliki back as head of government, blaming his previous tenure for plunging the country into “poverty and total chaos.”
“Due to his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer aid Iraq,” Trump wrote. “Unless we are there to help, Iraq has ZERO chance of success, prosperity or freedom.”
Trump added that Iraq should not allow a repeat of Maliki’s leadership and ended his post with the slogan “MAKE IRAQ GREAT AGAIN.”
Last week, Iraq’s Shiite political bloc alliance, which has a parliamentary majority, announced former prime minister Maliki as its candidate for the position.
Maliki served as Iraq’s prime minister from 2006 to 2014, a period marked by sectarian violence, political instability and the rise of Islamic State, which seized large parts of the country in 2014.
