Iraq’s election didn’t make a huge splash in the U.S., but the results of the April 30 vote were released this week, and the outcome has important ramifications for Iraq and the wider region. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s party came out way ahead. Iraq has faded from the American radar, but it saw nearly a decade of U.S. military operations. And it’s sandwiched between Syria, where a civil war is raging, and Iran, where nuclear negotiations are at a critical juncture. The international community has repeatedly warned that if Iraq can’t reconcile its ethnic and sectarian differences, the country could fracture and exacerbate these regional tensions. Maliki, who continues to have U.S. support, seems poised to hold onto the job he’s had for the past eight years, even though there are many who doubt that he can bring about reconciliation. He is a Shiite Islamist politician, and in recent […]