Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said Wednesday that he would press ahead in the Iraqi courts with his increasingly unlikely bid to retain power, and would not turn to the army. With so many political forces now aligned against Mr. Maliki, including the United States and Iran, and with his retreat from veiled threats to use force, the political crisis that has gripped Baghdad in recent days diminished in intensity, though it has not been completely resolved. In his weekly speech, Mr. Maliki said he was refusing to step aside because “we are defending the right of those who have voted” in the country’s election in April, in which his Shiite-led bloc won the most seats, though not a majority, in Parliament. “They voted in difficult conditions, because they are aware that Iraq cannot be built unless the right people come to office,” Mr. Maliki said, referring […]