Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki, concerned by his portrayal in US media as an autocratic leader intent on consolidating power, has invited several influential Washington scholars to Baghdad to meet his team next week.

The rare invitation was extended to Kenneth Pollack of the Brookings Institution, Danielle Pletka of the American Enterprise Institution and Joost Hiltermann of the International Crisis Group.

“I think it a very smart and constructive step on his part,” said Pollack, a former CIA military analyst who served in President Bill Clinton’s White House and also authored an influential book backing the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.

Iraqi officials said the idea behind inviting the scholars was to put out Baghdad’s side of the story and respond to a “deliberate distortion of reality” being promoted by Maliki’s opponents.

“He feels that there is an increasing hostile activity against Iraq and the Iraqi government that attempts to give an unfavourable and negative picture about the situation in Iraq,” said Ali Al Mussawi, chief media adviser to the prime minister, responding to an enquiry made to Iraq’s embassy in Washington.

Baghdad’s invitation takes place against the backdrop of an effective information campaign being waged against the Maliki government in Washington, particularly by the Iraqi people.

“It is important for those interested in Iraqi affairs to see the situation on the ground and to listen to the voice of Iraqi government and average Iraqis, rather than being exposed only to the readings and voices of those who have political agendas,” Al Mussawi said.

He did not spell out who he meant but cited unnamed regional powers interested in seeing a weakened Iraq. Baghdad is waging a bitter war of words with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who has accused Maliki of sidelining opponents.

Danielle Pletka, an adviser to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1992 to 2002, said she was looking forward to the Baghdad trip.

Separately, around 200 protesters rallied in front of the Turkish consulate in Basra, southern Iraq, threatening to boycott Turkish companies if Ankara does not hand over Iraq’s vice-president Tareq Al Hashemi.

Protesters also distributed leaflets that read: “We give Turkey 15 days to meet our demands. If not, we will target Turkey’s interests, represented by Turkish companies.”



PNA-WASHINGTON,