Meanwhile, pressure is growing on the Iraqi government from all sides. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made the rare move of meeting with Shiite spiritual leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and leading anti-US Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Speaking to reporters, Sadr indicated he’d be open to dropping his opposition to a recent law that would allow the formation of autonomous regions in Iraq.

• Muqtada al-Sadr: “It is up to the Iraqi people to decide on federalism or any other issue and if the people wants federalism, it is OK and if it is not, it is their legitimate right.”