Former Iraqi Foreign Minister: 'Maliki himself and some of his associates do not realize how big is the threat'

By Henry Hullah

The rise of Haider al-Abadi to the Prime Minister's office has been applauded around the world and across Iraqi party lines.

The general consensus has been that with his tenure so too shall come a more inclusive government. Former Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told the program that more involvment the country's many factions is a pivotal factor in the struggle against ISIS.

"To be truly representative of the Iraqi communities, nationalities, sexes. It is very important to defeat ISIS."

He told the program that in Iraq's current position, the nation needs "a democratic, a representative, an inclusive government to reach out to all communities and fight back."

When asked why the current government, under the incumbent Prime Minister Maliki, had faltered in it's response to the current crisis, the former Foreign Minister said a lack of speed was due to a failure to realize the extent of the ISIS threat.

He told Fred Pleitgen, in for Christiane Amanpour, that "Maliki himself and some of his associates do not realize how big is the threat."

"You don't get that sense of urgency or the need to move or to make concessions in order to save the country from total collapse."