Some of the Iraqis who could be persuaded to take that lead are the former tribal allies who fought al Qaeda before. U.S. and Iraqi officials say McGurk and other U.S. military officers and diplomats have begun to reach out again in recent months to them.
One of those leaders who have been in renewed contact with the Americans is Ahmed abu-Risha, whose brother was killed in 2007 and was considered the first leader of what became known as the Anbar Awakening.
McGurk has also met with Ali Hatim Suleiman, the head of Iraq’s largest tribe, known as the Duleimi. Suleiman said this week that most of the fighters who now control Mosul, the city that fell this month, are not affiliated with ISIS. But he also warned that there would be no chance to put down the insurgency if Maliki remained in power.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member