Earlier this summer Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appeared to have a strong hold on political life in Iraq. He had silenced both his Sunni and Shiite rivals and was riding a wave of popularity after having pushed the US Army back to its bases. 

Funny how much can change in two months.

In the aftermath of the August 20 bombing of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, al-Maliki's political standing and popular support are once again precarious. Old political rivalries are back as is the perception that things are getting worse in Iraq. Here is the Economist's take:

"Like a hormonal teenager, Iraqi politics evolves in spurts. Just take these past weeks. The insurgency has revived, culminating in a series of audacious and bloody attacks in the heart of Baghdad. And that has turned the fortunes of the prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, on their head. From being a shoo-in at the next election, the man who was supposed to have tamed the terrorists is now looking more like a has-been. Rivals are lining up to take him on and old alliances are unravelling. All that Iraqis know for sure is that they have reached another turning-point in their turbulent post-invasion history." Full article here.