A Biography of Iraq’s Polarizer: Nouri al-Maliki

His tenure was marked by sectarian rule, corruption, Iran ties, and the 2014 fall of Mosul, shaping Iraq’s instability and foreign relations.

Nouri al-Maliki, born in 1950, joined the Islamic Da’wa Party in the 1970s and fled Iraq in 1979 after persecution by Saddam Hussein’s regime. 

He lived in Syria and Iran through the 1980s and 1990s, operating under the alias “Jawad” and building links with Iranian and Hezbollah figures. 

After the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, he returned to Baghdad, served on the de-Baathification commission, helped draft the 2005 constitution, and entered parliament. 

In May 2006, after months of deadlock, he was selected as prime minister, succeeding Ibrahim al-Jaafari. 

That year, he approved Saddam Hussein’s execution, carried out during a religious holiday, a decision that drew criticism for its sectarian symbolism.

Monopoly of Power

Al-Maliki governed for two terms from 2006 to 2014, becoming the longest-serving Iraqi leader since 2003. 

After losing the 2010 election to Ayad Allawi’s Iraqiya bloc, he retained office through coalition maneuvering and court rulings.

He concentrated authority by holding key security ministries and appointing loyalists to command posts. 

In 2011, he obtained a court ruling placing independent agencies under cabinet control, which critics called a “coup against the constitution.” 

His government pursued Sunni rivals, including Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, who fled Iraq after terrorism charges, and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq, who accused Maliki of being “worse than Saddam Hussein.” 

Sunni protests in 2012–2013 were suppressed, culminating in the April 2013 Hawija raid, where dozens of demonstrators were killed. Human Rights Watch later documented a secret detention facility in Baghdad run by forces reporting directly to his office.

Corruption allegations defined his tenure. 

Iraq’s Commission of Integrity estimated that about $500 billion in public funds vanished between 2006 and 2014. 

Investigations uncovered more than 50,000 “ghost soldiers,” and officials said 57,000 Interior Ministry salaries were paid to nonexistent employees.

A $4.2 billion Russian arms deal collapsed in 2012 over bribery claims. Transparency International ranked Iraq among the world’s most corrupt states during this period.

Regional Alignments and Collapse

Al-Maliki’s foreign policy sharpened sectarian and regional divides. 

He cultivated close relations with Tehran, aligning with Iran on Syria and tolerating Iranian military flights to Damascus. 

Gulf states accused him of marginalizing Sunnis; Saudi Arabia said his “exclusionary policies” helped create the conditions for ISIS. 

Relations with Türkiye deteriorated after 2012, when he accused Ankara of interference and labeled it a “hostile state.” 

Although he signed a 2007 memorandum pledging cooperation against the PKK, Turkish officials complained Baghdad failed to implement concrete measures.

The decisive blow to his premiership came in June 2014, when ISIS captured Mosul. 

Parliamentary investigators later named al-Maliki among those responsible for the collapse, citing politicized command structures and ignored warnings. 

About 30,000 Iraqi troops abandoned the city with minimal resistance. Under pressure from Iraq’s religious authorities, Washington, and Tehran, al-Maliki resigned in August 2014.

He later served as vice president and remained leader of the Da’wa Party.

U.S. assessments hardened over time. 

Donald Trump warned in January 2026 that Washington would cut support if al-Maliki returned to office, saying, “We can’t let that happen again,” and blaming his “insane policies” for Iraq’s chaos. 

In a 2014 interview, al-Maliki accused Saudi Arabia and Qatar of backing terrorism, stating, “These two countries are primarily responsible for the sectarian and terrorist crisis in Iraq.”