Some in the US Congress, including influential legislators such as Senator John McCain, have warned of Maliki’s despotic tendencies and his close ties to the Iranian regime, reported Reuters in an analysis on the situation in Iraq.
Based on this report, these senators are furious over the fact that Maliki is still allowing the Iranian regime to send military aid to Bashar Assad.
These representatives also complain that Maliki has not lived up to his promises regarding the protection of Iranian dissidents in Iraq, reported Reuters.
The report also adds that former White House intelligence official Kenneth Pollack has said that weapon shipments will not resolve Iraq’s dilemmas and it will only result in the Maliki government resorting to more force.
Pollack and others urged the Obama Administration to condition military aid to Maliki to reconciliation steps to allow the entrance of minority leaders into the government. 
Iraq’s demands for Apache Helicopters have primarily not gone forward due to Congress concerns, Reuters stated.
The report also states that the conflict in Anbar is the latest event in a series of measures taken by Maliki against Iraq’s Sunnis.