Gulan: As you know Da’ash is about to create emirates in Iraq and Maliki has ruined the political process and he has almost become a dictator. So what do you think Iraq is heading to?

Pollock: I think Iraq, as you have said, has been suffering greatly from terrorism in the past three months particularly in Anbar province and many other parts of the country including the capital. I don’t think Prime Minister Maliki is a dictatorship, but certainly his government has a tendency to try achieving monopoly of power but they are also prepared to poll a free election. There is an opportunity for other candidates and other parties to compete against them. It is not perfect but it is not what we will call the old dictatorship. So the future of Iraq, I think is I would say nick. There are many serious issues, many problems, and tragically continued bloodshed, but my impression is that there is also some hope for improvement and I think the country will poll together. I should say also the situation in Kurdistan regional of Iraq is very different. I was just there in November and I kept in touch with people and with the development in the KRG and in the north, the security situation is good and very different in that way from the rest of Iraq. Politically there is unfortunately still a big difference between KRG and Baghdad and we hope will be improved in the near future.

Gulan: the relationship between the KRG and Baghdad is currently halted. Barzani claimed that they have no relation with a government that boycotted parliament and took control of army, judiciary, police, and intelligence. People in Kurdistan were expecting a referendum to be held by Barzani. In your view, what are your expectations and recommendations for KRG as Maliki cut Kurdish share of Iraqi budget?

Pollock: you are right that there are a lot of tensions, uncertainty, and disagreement between president Barzani and Prime Minister Maliki and more generally between the KRG and Baghdad, but I would say that we from the outside in the United States hear reports that the two sides are still talking seriously about compromise on the very important oil issue and budget issue and issues of export from the KRG to Turkey and so on. There is still talking and there is some chance that they reach an agreement. I think that there is political reasons (with laughing) is probably very hard to do before the elections, but I think that after the elections it will be probably a little easier for both sides to reach a compromise or agreement on that issues. So I don’t think, personally, that Kurdistan should really take extreme steps to move away from the central government of Iraq.

Gulan: Barzani also said they will stay with Iraq but if Maliki reelected in the next election. What will be your expectations for Iraq?

Pollock: in general I don’t think have for the same leader to be ruling that country even in democracy for too long. In the United States we elect the president to just two terms in office. There is no possibility, according to our constitution, being president for more than eight years. And I think this is a good thing because by the facts of personalities or individuals, it is better in democracy to have different people and even different political parties alternate in power. On the other hand, if Maliki is reelected, I think that he will understand that in order to stay in power and keep the country unified, he needs to make a compromise with the Sunni Arabs and with the Kurds and even with some of his rivals in the capital. So I hope Maliki would be more flexible if he is reelected.

Gulan: what positions will the United States have towards the situation in Iraq and if Maliki is reelected?

Pollock: first of all the United States made it very clear that the future of Iraq is up to Iraqis not up to the united states, and we have a very limited role in Iraq and even our relation with Iraq, although they are important, are not major factor actually in Iraq’s future to be very honest and frank about it, but it is not zero, there is still role for the united states and concern in Iraq but what the US position would be and how we will play this role in the future, so I would just simply say that if Maliki is reelected in a democratic election, the united states, in my view, will certainly accept that outcome and continue to try to work with the new Iraqi government on issues that we have in common and that includes the terror and counter terrorism, energy, developments which we think Iraq has achieved in the north and in the south to increase its energy outputs and exports, and also to try to, honestly, compete, I would put it this way, for the united states to compete against Iran for interim in the region and Iraq is stuck in between Iran on one side and the Arab world and western world on the other. The United States would like Iraq to be able to balance those interests, and not to become under Iranian interim in the future.