Nouri al-Maliki... Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party. Maliki imposed order on Basra wen the Shiites were going nuts, but has proven incapable of dealing with al-Qaeda's Sunni insurgency. Reelected to his third term in 2014...
has given up his post as prime minister to Haider al-Abadi, state television
... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
reported Thursday -- a move that could end a political deadlock that plunged Baghdad into uncertainty as the country fights a Sunni krazed killer insurgency.
The Iraqiya television network said al-Maliki has "relinquished the post of prime minister." It did not elaborate. Afak television, al-Maliki's private network, ran a bulletin saying "al-Maliki joins the greatest men of history by giving up posts."
The announcement comes ahead of an address al-Maliki is due to make later Thursday evening, according to the government.
Iraq's President Fouad Massoum named al-Abadi on Monday to form the next government, but al-Maliki had until now refused to step aside.