Iraq: Election Fever, Calls for Active U.S. Engagement

Over at The Cable, Josh Rogin reports that Hill Democrats sent a letter[PDF] to President Obama urging the administration to maintain active engagement in Iraq to avoid letting “recent gains slip away.” Congressman Bill Delahunt, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, told Rogin that the recent election ruling prompted concerns among Congressional Democrats, who want Obama to not lose focus in the midst of “one of the most critical moments in terms of the Iraq adventure.”

Stephen Biddle, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, echoes the concerns voiced in the letter, saying that continued diplomatic engagement was crucial for the success of Iraq’s political reconciliation once U.S. troops withdraw.

Meanwhile, the New York Times editorializes that although the Iraqi appeals court correctly overturned a “disgraceful decision,” the ruling was not as “legally pure as one might like.” The crisis isn’t over, the Times says, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki should encourage parliament to start the campaign. “Instead of trying to keep competitors off the ballot, Iraq’s leaders should be debating their country’s many serious problems and telling voters how they will fix them.”