Iraqis told to get off the dime on oil sharing

Michael Gordon, NY Times:

The top American military commander for the Middle East has warned Iraq’s prime minister in a closed-door conversation that the Iraqi government needs to make tangible political progress by next month to counter the growing tide of opposition to the war in Congress.

In a Sunday afternoon discussion that mixed gentle coaxing with a sober appraisal of politics in Baghdad and Washington, the commander, Adm. William J. Fallon, told Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki that the Iraqi government should aim to complete a law on the division of oil proceeds by next month.

Iraq’s Shiite dominated-government, Admiral Fallon added in the meeting, has consolidated power and should have the confidence to reach out to its opponents. “You have the power,” Admiral Fallon said. “You should take the initiative.”

The admiral’s appeal, which was made in the presence of Ryan C. Crocker, the American ambassador to Iraq, a senior political adviser to the command and this reporter, elicited an assurance from Mr. Maliki that he hoped to make some progress over the coming weeks. But he also offered a lengthy account of all the tribulations facing the Iraqi government, including tenuous security, distrustful neighboring Sunni states and a complex legal agenda.

“There are lots of difficulties that are not well understood from outside,” Mr. Maliki said. “Still, we’re trying hard.”

...

At one point, Mr. Maliki wondered aloud whether Congress would really give the Iraqis credit for tackling tough issues if they completed the oil law. Admiral Fallon reassured him that most Americans wanted the Iraqi government to succeed.

At another point, Mr. Maliki asserted that there was already some good news to report. “The September report should list the accomplishments,” he said. “There are lots of positive developments. Our spirit is not broken. Another success is that no one is above the law.”

...

The glacial pace of democracy in Iraq is in sharp contrast to dictatorships, but at some point they have to act. I think part of the problem is cultural. The tribal networks within Iraq operate on consensus on many issues too and require everyone to agree on certain issues. The problem is that in democracies, you have to let the majority rule sometimes. Even our Senate will eventually vote on the important issues.