Baghdad and Basra are calmer now that Muqtada al-Sadr has told his Mahdi Army to stop fighting government forces, but government politicians went to Iran to make the deal. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's surprise offensive has revealed more weakness than strength. The shaky ceasefire occurred after US forces took sides in a struggle between two groups of Shiites. What’s next for Sunnis, Kurds and other factions? What’s the role of Iran, now and in the future? Will US troop withdrawal depend on local players and events it has no way to control?
The Iraqi Ceasefire: Winners and Losers
Credits
Guests:
- Leila Fadel - Washington Post - @LeilaFadel
- Ned Parker - Reuters News Service - @nedmparker1
- Phebe Marr - former advisor, Iraq Study Group
- Fawaz Gerges - London School of Economics and Politics
- Stephen Biddle - George Washington University / Council on Foreign Relations - @ElliottSchoolGW