Iraq’s government: united and inclusive?

The United States is hailing the creation of a new unity government in Iraq as a “major milestone”. The incoming prime minister, Haider al-Abbadi, has been under pressure to address deep rifts among politicians – and within society itself.

Cabinet posts have been shared between Shia, Sunni and Kurdish politicians – but there is still a significant Shia majority; and the positions of defence and interior ministers have not yet been filled.

The US had made the approval of a unity government a condition for increasing its military assistance to tackle the Islamic State group, which has seized large areas of Iraq.

Abbadi told MPs: “We stand before the will of our people aspiring to achieve their supreme goals whereby all Iraqis who live in love and unity under the roof of one homeland, enjoying the richest of the lands in every corner of the country.”

But can the power-sharing politicians work together to unite a fractured nation?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Tariq al Hashimi – former vice president of Iraq.

Ahmed Rushdi – director of the house of Iraqi Expertise Foundation.

Ghassan Al Attiyah – founder and director of the Iraq Foundation for Development and Democracy.