Meghan L. O'Sullivan, Columnist

Iraq’s Two New Leaders Offer a Glimmer of Hope

They’re capable politicians in a nation that desperately needs that, at a time when progress seems possible.

October 3, 2018 at 4:29 PM UTC

Meghan L. O’Sullivan is a professor of international affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School and the North American chair of the Trilateral Commission, she served on the National Security Council from 2004 to 2007.

Adil Abdul-Mahdi and Barham Salih face a moment of opportunity. — Adil Abdul-Mahdi and Barham Salih face a moment of opportunity.
Photographer: Murtadha Sudani/Anadolu Agency, via Getty Images

Provide news feedback or report an error

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

This article is for subscribers only.

Tuesday was a great day for Iraq. For a country whose leaders have often disappointed, two exceptional people were tapped to be the highest leaders — in what was Iraq’s fourth peaceful transition of power since 2005.

Barham Salih was voted by parliament into the position of president. His first act was to name Adil Abdul-Mahdi to be prime minister, conditional upon his formation of a government in the next 30 days. Some may see this duo as part of the old guard; both have been active in Iraqi politics since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Salih has been deputy prime minister of Iraq, and prime minister of Iraqi Kurdistan. Abdul-Mahdi was formerly vice president of Iraq and more recently oil minister.