New Iraqi PM Haidar al-Abadi appointed to lead war on Islamic State
Iraq’s President appointed Haidar al-Abadi as the country’s new Prime Minister, in a bid to revitalise the government’s floundering effort to fight the militants of Islamic State (IS), the extremist group formerly known as ISIS.
However, the existing PM Nouri al-Maliki accused President Fuad Masum of a “dangerous violation” of the constitution in inviting Abadi to form a government.
Maliki said he would take the decision through the courts, in a move which left the country uncertain as to who is in charge.
Maliki’s opposition to the change of government also threatens to delay the fight with IS.
Abadi was educated at Manchester University and spent much of his adult life in exile in the UK after Saddam Hussein’s regime killed several members of his family.
US President Barack Obama welcomed Abadi’s appointment as “a promising step forward in this critical effort”.
“This new Iraqi leadership … has to regain the confidence of its citizens by governing inclusively and by taking steps to demonstrate its resolve,” Obama said last night.
It came as US officials warned its air strikes alone will not defeat Islamic State.
Military officials said the strikes so far have delayed IS’ advance, but cannot stop it.
However, the strikes have helped Kurdish forces take back control of several norther towns.
And the US also revealed it has started to arm some Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq to help them in the war with IS.
Meanwhile Britain is sending in Tornado jets to help the effort to drop aid in to refugees fleeing IS’ advances.
The drops include food and water being given to tens of thousands of Yazidis trapped on Mount Sinjar.
Pressure on the international community has risen after reports that the fleeing Yazidis were at risk of death from dehydration, and that hundreds were being massacred by IS.