Iraq could have been a winner, had it been able to translate the recovery of its oil industry and the withdrawal of US troops into political stabilization and regional influence. But, with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government widely considered to be another authoritarian and sectarian regime, Iraq has not been able to gain any soft power.
伊拉克本可以成为赢家，如果它成功地将石油业的复苏和美军的撤离转化为政治稳定和地区影响力的话。但是，总理马利基的政府被广泛认为是又一个独裁的宗派式政府，伊拉克终究没有赢得任何软实力。