Coming soon to US media outlets: "Allawi rejoins the political process"

Ayad Allawi met with a group of politicians in Sulaimaniya, Iraqi Kurdistan, yesterday, including Ambassador Crocker, the two Kurdish leaders Talabani and Barzani, deputy premier Barham Saleh, and others including a former president of the Iraqi parliament, according to Al-Quds al-Arabi. Allawi said he is there for two days of talks, mentioning specifically patching up relations between his Iraqi List and the two big Kurdish parties. But the journalist says the purpose of the larger meeting including Crocker and the rest, was to strengthen participation in the political process following the recent four-party agreement. He says it is expected Allawi will participate in a coming round of meetings on this, if not in person then represented by a group from his party.

But the journalist intimates this is in large part a show aimed at the American people, writing as follows:

According to sources, Allawi's decision to participate came after several ministers in his Iraqi List refused to submit their resignations [apparently meaning, from Malaki's cabinet], and also following American pressure on Allawi, pressing him to participate, particularly in the run-up to the presention of the Petraeus report, in order to present a picture to the American people indicating that there has at least been some success in the efforts to alter the political process for the better.

As for the chances of actual rapprochement with Maliki, there isn't hint one way or the other. Allawi is quoted to the effect there is no personal animosity between him and Maliki, just the political issues, and his Iraqi List issued a statement that said the recent events in Karbala show that the Maliki government is incapable of protecting the Iraqi people or their holy sites, and the events show that his government is in a state of collapse.