Why we stuck with Maliki — and lost Iraq -Washington Post

The evolution of Maliki’s “leadership” in Iraq, as seen from a US perspective. A couple of questions to ask yourself:
1. Why did Maliki suddenly decide to consolidate power around himself in late 2008? Didn’t he see the danger of what he was doing?
2. What was Iran’s strategy when they backed Maliki at the expense of other Shi’a groups? What were their options?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-we-stuck-with-maliki–and-lost-iraq/2014/07/03/0dd6a8a4-f7ec-11e3-a606-946fd632f9f1_story.html