What al-Maliki’s return would mean for Iraq and the region

Al JazeeraCenterEN 5 min read 75% complete by Jasim Al-AzzawiJanuary 25, 2026 at 05:11 PM

AI Summary

long article 5 min

Following the withdrawal of current Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani from the premiership race after the November elections, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is positioned to return to power in Iraq. Al-Maliki's previous terms were marked by sectarian politics and policies that excluded the Sunni population, contributing to instability. During his time as prime minister, al-Maliki weaponized de-Baathification to exclude Sunni politicians and suppressed peaceful demonstrations. Analysts suggest his return could lead to a resurgence of policies that contributed to the rise of ISIL (ISIS). His return reflects the failure of Iraqi state-building after the 2003 US invasion.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Baghdad 30% Saddam Hussein 40% Stephen Hadley 40% George W Bush 50% ISIL (ISIS) 60% Sunni ×360% Mohammed Shia al-Sudani 60% United States ×270% Iraq ×480% Nouri al-Maliki ×690%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Iraq

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).