Iraq ’s President Fouad Masoum asked the deputy speaker of parliament to try to form a new cabinet and end a three-month political stalemate that’s helped Islamist insurgents seize large swaths of the country. While the U.S. quickly backed Masoum’s designation of Haidar al-Abadi, embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki rejected Masoum’s move, setting the stage for further political deadlock and potentially a confrontation after Maliki sent troops into the streets of Baghdad early today. Masoum tapped Abadi hours after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pulled support from Maliki, warning him not to hinder the political process while the country is under threat from the Islamic State’s advances across the north. The U.S. and Iraqi political parties have blamed Maliki’s divisive policies for the onslaught in northern Iraq by the Sunni militant group, and President Barack Obama has tied expanded U.S. military strikes against the al-Qaeda breakaway group to […]