Iraq takes first step in forming government

BAGHDAD -- Iraqi lawmakers moved toward breaking their political deadlock yesterday, voting for a new parliament speaker in the first step of a government formation process that analysts warn is unfolding too slowly to keep the country from fragmenting along ethnic and sectarian lines.

It remained unclear whether the overwhelming approval of Sunni Muslim politician Salim al-Jubouri, a moderate Islamist with a background in law, as speaker signaled a broader power-sharing deal between the Shia Muslim political bloc of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his Sunni, Kurdish and Shia detractors.

Al-Maliki, who's served in a caretaker capacity since elections in April, is seeking a third four-year term, but he faces heavy criticism over policies that are blamed for hardening sectarian divisions, weakening the U.S.-trained security forces and allowing the al-Qaida splinter group known as the Islamic State to seize large swaths of Iraqi territory.

Though his State of Law coalition won the most seats in the April polls, al-Maliki is finding it hard to build the alliances necessary to keep his hold on power. Even his longtime supporters in Washington signal that he's become too politically radioactive and should go; the Obama administration insists on seeing a more inclusive government before committing more military aid.

The political system established under the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq calls for a Shia prime minister, a Sunni parliament speaker and a Kurdish president. Haggling over the posts is part of the process, only this time the stakes are much higher, with the Islamic State encroaching on the capital and the Kurds moving toward independence.

On the military front, al-Maliki's government has shown little to no progress in reasserting state control since the army collapsed during the Islamic State's northern offensive in early June. Yesterday, the military announced a new offensive of its own, an operation dubbed "Sharp Sword," aimed at routing the Sunni extremists and their allied insurgents from the northern city of Tikrit.

The remnants of the army, backed by militias and other irregulars, already have failed several times to recapture Tikrit, and analysts who monitor the conflict say they're not sure how this time could yield success.