From August 10, 2010, that's "Non-Combat Troops."
C.I. wrote:
Two US soldiers in Iraq. One says, "So now,
magically, we're 'non-combat' troops. What does that mean?" Second one
replies, "I guess it means we act like our commander-in-chief. Pose
for a ton of photos, go on a lot of vacations and yack it up with the
ladies of The View." Isaiah archives his comics at The World Today Just Nuts.
I'd forgotten that one.
When I pulled it up, I thought, "That's one I'm proud of."
I'm always proud when I'm able to do something on Iraq.
It's an important topic and I thought this one really had a good message.
I got a number of e-mails from families who had loved ones serving in Iraq suddenly declared 'non-combat troops.' They found Barack's sleight of hand dishonest and insulting.
Again, I'm proud of that one.
And that's because a lot of people felt their loved one's story was being told in the comic.
Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"
Thursday, December 5, 2013. Chaos and violence continue, Nouri's State
of Law tries (and fails) to spin for him, the conflict between Nouri and
cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr gets more attention, one
journalist sees the upcoming election as a race between Nouri and
Moqtada, Nelson Mandela has passed away, US President Barack Obama is
caught in another lie, and more.
International inspiration, freedom fighter and world figure Nelson Mandela passed away today. The Tavis Smiley Show (PBS) will explore the meaning of Mandela this evening:
Next topic, are you an undocumented worker in the US? Better hope you're related to the President of the United States. As his aunt and uncle demonstrate, when you're related to him, even though you've been ordered out of the country, you get to stay. Everybody else, the White House insists, get out.
In his first term alone, he deported over 1.4 billion people. Wednesday morning, Cedric's "He can't stop lying" and Wally's "THIS JUST IN! HE LIES ABOUT EVERYTHING!" -- joint-post -- noted an interesting development in Onyango Obama's drunk driving case -- he told the judge that Barack lived with him for three weeks. The White House had insisted, following Onyango Obama's 2011 drunk driving arrest, that Barack had never, ever met his uncle (the only brother of Barack Obama Sr.).
Well pop goes the weasel!
Here's how Jeff Mason (Reuters) rushes to cover for Barack:
President Barack Obama lived briefly with his Kenyan-born uncle while attending law school, the White House said on Thursday, reversing earlier statements that there was no record of the two men ever having met.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said he clarified the issue with the president directly after reports that Onyango Obama, who faced deportation from the United States, said he had housed his nephew temporarily.
I know about the drunk driving only through Cedric and Wally's previous coverage. It's not an 'issue' I follow. But even I knew that the White House stated the two had never met.
You can be sure Barack Obama also knew the White House stated it.
Or is this another moment of, "Nobody told me!"
For two years, Barack let a lie stand. For two years, he refused to correct the record.
And now he's only doing it because his uncle's remarks in court leaked out.
Maria Sacchetti (Boston Globe) reminds:
In November 2011, a White House spokesman said he had no record of the two ever meeting. The Washington Post had also reported that scholars believed the two had never met.
The White House never moved to correct the record, until the president’s famously private uncle took the witness stand in Boston immigration court two days ago.
It's a lie.
That's not, "Impeach him! For lying!" But don't pretend that it didn't happen. I'd actually be more forgiving if we were told the clarification included a lie -- because this claim that he hadn't spoken to the man in 10 years and hadn't been face-to-face with him in 20?
That's disgusting.
Barack groupie Bruce Springsteen has a song entitled "Highway Patrolman" (first appears on Nebraska):
Yeah me and Frankie laughin' and drinkin'
Nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band
Played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good.
Barack had no blood relatives on the mainland (Hawaii's not the mainland, love the state, have a home there, but it's not the mainland). At that time or after. So to have an uncle in Boston when Barack's living in Chicago and Barack has no contact with him?
That's disgusting.
Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good
Apparently 'Dreams of My Father' are safe because Daddy's dead but to have your father's brother alive? You can use him when you're going to college but you have no desire to make your own living blood relative on the mainland part of your life? That's really sad.
But the lying part? To the American people, that's just unacceptable. It's not crime, you can't be impeached for it. But it's really sad that Barack is so unable to tell the truth. As Rebecca observed last night, noting Bruce A. Dixon's audio commentary for Black Agenda Report about Barack and Attorney General Eric Holder's remarks versus actions, "they just never stop lying, this administration."
Again, his latest lie? Not a crime, not an impeachable offense. It does, however, go to pattern and it goes to character. There's a reason he's polling so poorly and is considered untrustworthy. Maybe Ann Dumham didn't teach him Aesop's fable about The Boy Who Cried Wolf? Let's review it by way of a scene from season two of Kate & Allie, the "Rear Window" episode written by Stu Hample -- Susan Saint James played Kate, Jane Curtin played Allie and Fred Koehler played Chip.
Allie: Have you ever heard the story of the little boy who cried wolf?
Chip: Yeah, it's about a little boy who cried wolf.
Allie: A shepherd. The little shepherd went into the field one day and he got bored so he cried wolf. And all the villagers came running.
Kate: Right and when they saw there was no wolf, they got mad and they went home.
Allie: And the next week, he went into the field again, and he got bored again and he cried wolf again
Kate: And all the villagers came and when they saw there was no wolf there, they really got mad and went home again.
Allie: But the next time there really was a wolf. And the little boy cried wolf but nobody came. And the wolf ate the little boy.
In the wake of yesterday's NSA spying revelations, Barack wanted to vouch for the NSA in an interview today, wanted people to believe him. Matthew Hoye (CNN) quotes Barack declaring, "I've said before and I will say it again, the N.S.A. actually does a very good job about not engaging in domestic surveillance, not reading people's emails, not- listening to their- the contents of their phone calls. Outside of our borders, the N.S.A.'s more aggressive."
He wants to be believed.
After "If you like your plan, you can keep it." After misleading the American public with a tale of never having met his uncle. After that and so much more, he wants to be believed.
It's not that easy.
The lies that you tell
Will leave you alone
They'll keep you down
They'll catch you up and trip you up
Keep you hangin' around
-- "Love You By Heart," written by Carly Simon, Jacob Brackman and Libby Titus, first appears on Carly's Spy
Moving from Barack's statements to one by the US Embassy in Iraq today:
AFP reports:
Security forces early Thursday ended an hours-long siege at a mall in the northern city of Kirkuk but not before militants killed nine people, security officials and medics said.
The attack Wednesday on the mall in the oil rich ethnic tinderbox city, which involved a car bomb and would-be suicide bombers, came amid a surge in unrest that has claimed more than 6,200 lives this year.
In other violence, National Iraqi News Agency reports a Mada'in roadside bombing claimed 1 life and left five people injured, a Qara-Tepeh bombing claimed 1 life and left two injured, 3 people (two college students, one Sahwa) were shot dead in Mosul, 1 college student was killed in another shooting in Mosul, 1 Shabak was shot dead in Mosul, 1 Ministry of Industry employee was shot dead in Baghdad, the corpses of 2 Sahwa were discovered in Baghdad, and "Gunmen, wearing military uniforms, assassinated on Thursday 5, Dec the police officer of Aski police station after storming his house on the night of one of his sons wedding, killing three others, including the groom."
Meanwhile Aswat al-Iraq notes that "200 Badush prison guards in Mosul" have resigned "due to assassinations and threats."
As noted at the Prime Minister's official website, Nouri al-Maliki, wrapping up his two day visit to Iran, met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
The visit comes amid increasing division within the governing Shi’ite
coalition in Iraq. It follows an announcement by the Sadrist Bloc in
Iraq’s parliament, led by Moqtada Al-Sadr, and the Islamic Supreme
Council of Iraq, led by Ammar Al-Hakim, of their intention to fight the
next parliamentary elections on separate lists and open the door to new
alliances in order to choose an alternative prime minister to Maliki.
Meanwhile, the State of Law Coalition, which Maliki leads, insisted on Maliki’s nomination for the premiership for a third term, a move rejected by the Sadrists and the Supreme Council.
Jawad Al-Jubouri, a member of the Sadrist Al-Ahrar Bloc, told Asharq Al-Awsat:
“The visit may seem like a state visit by a senior official, such as a
prime minister, who is working on Iraqi international relations,
especially with neighboring states. However, the problem is in the
timing of the visit, because carrying out two visits in close succession
to two important countries, the United States and Iran, makes observers
suspicious.”
There are reports that he was rebuffed. As Dar Addustour notes, his sudden visit follows cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr's announcement that Iranian authorities had decided they would not back Nouri for a third term. Moqtada made those statements on the weekend. On Monday, the media learned Nouri had decided to make a sudden trip to Iran. He did not inform Parliament of the hastily cobbled together visit.
Harith Hasan (Al-Monitor) looks at the conflict between Nouri and Moqtada:
While the last Iraqi general election in 2010 revolved around the rivalry between the State of Law Coalition, led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and the Iraqiya List, led by Ayad Allawi, the upcoming elections in April 2014 are more likely to be affected by the worsening conflict between Maliki and Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr. The latter has recently emerged as a major critic of the prime minister’s policies, even calling Maliki a dictator and advising him to not seek a third term.
State of Law MP Ali Shala is trying very hard to spin for Nouri. Sadly for Nouri, Shala doesn't know how to spin. Rudaw reports:
Shala insisted that rumors about Maliki’s pursuit of a third term and securing Tehran’s support are baseless. “These are all propaganda and only the ballot boxes can decide on the next prime minister, not the neighboring countries,” he said.
Iran, Iraq’s eastern neighbor, is a major power-broker in Iraq, exercising great influence through Sadr and other Shiite parties it supports.
[. . .] the State of Law official said that the National Alliance, a broad-based Shiite coalition comprising Sadrists, the Iraqi Supreme Islamic Council and State of Law, would re-nominate Maliki for a third tenure.
Rumors of a third term are baseless? But Shala says that Nouri's going to be nominated for a third term?
Okay, is the the third term attempt baseless or not?
At least there were no prominent defections from State of Law today, right?
Yesterday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki got some more bad news:
State of Law is the coalition Nouri created. Today it's the coalition with a high profile defection. Iraq Times notes that State of Law's leader in Parliament, Izzat al-Shahbandar, is the topic of speculation with rumors flying that he had resigned from State of Law. Alsumaria then reported that they could confirm the resignation via multiple sources. Hours later, All Iraq News noted Izzat al-Shahbander had publicly announced his resignation and declared, "The SLC [State of Law Coalition] turned into a sectarian coalition." All Iraq News also noted that al-Shahbander met with cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr on Tuesday. Kitabat quotes him stating that Nouri's positions and actions do not reflect his own beliefs and he cites Nouri's refusal to work with political opponents or to respect the ongoing sit-ins.
This is a major blow to Nouri. It's a loss at a time when Nouri's personal prestige was already on the decline. It's a loss that al-Shahbander and Moqtada can spin as 'the building of a new Iraq.' The two were at odds for some time. In fact, in 2011, the Sadr bloc was accusing al-Shahbander (and other State of Law MPs -- but they specifically named al-Shahbander) of procuring women for Nouri in the Green Zone. Now that can be put behind them, is the message, and the unity and good of Iraq can instead be embraced.
Mustafa Habib (Niqash) reports on the disintegration of Nouri's hold on State of Law:
Hamza Mustafa (Asharq al-Awsat) reports:
In exclusive comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Hasnawi said: “There has been a political targeting of the Sadrist Movement and the Al-Ahrar bloc, particularly given that we are approaching the elections. The reason for this is to politically destroy opponents and harm their reputations, especially as the Al-Ahrar bloc is more active than others in raising corruption issues.”
“These are part of vengeful attempts against us which have become obvious to all,” he added.
Hasnawi accused Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki of being behind the issuance of the arrest warrants. He said: “The arrest warrants are dated and these cases have been closed for a long time. There is not a single one which is related to a new case, but there are judges who work as protectors for the prime minister who issue arrest warrants according to Maliki’s demands.”
“The arrest warrant against Baha Al-Araji is related to the Red Crescent issue, which was closed in 2008, and the warrant against Jawad Al-Shahili is related to the issue of MPs’ loans and he provided parliament with receipts,” the Sadrist Movement MP added.
He also accused MPs belonging to Maliki’s own State of Law coalition of corruption. He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “All these accusations are being made while there are still some State of Law Coalition MPs, such as Khalid Al-Attiyah, who spent much more on medical treatment and have not provided any official receipts.”
iraq
national iraqi news agency
niqash
mustafa habib
asharq al-awsat
hamza mustafa
al-monitor
the new york times
tim arrango
Read on ...
International inspiration, freedom fighter and world figure Nelson Mandela passed away today. The Tavis Smiley Show (PBS) will explore the meaning of Mandela this evening:
In a tribute to Nelson Mandela, Tavis talks with activist-entertainer Harry Belafonte, Rep. Maxine Waters and talk show host Larry King,
all of whose paths crossed with this extraordinary man, and also shares
a personal memory of the then-ANC deputy president’s 1990 visit to Los
Angeles.
Nelson Mandela dedicated his life to
fighting for equality and helped transform the future of a nation. He
moved the world when he became the first Black president in a part of
the world engulfed by apartheid.
From a 27-year incarceration for his activities in South Africa's anti-apartheid movement to winning the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming president of the Republic of South Africa, spending his retirement years raising money to build schools and clinics in South Africa's rural areas and sharing his life and struggles in several books, Mandela proved that one man can make a difference. The world has lost a courageous and inspiring human being.
In a tribute to his life and legacy, we're joined by three people who have very personal remembrances of meeting the great man. Harry Belafonte—a tireless advocate for justice and equality in his own right—was a longtime friend and chaired the organization that introduced then-ANC Deputy President Mandela to the U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters first met Nelson Mandela in Los Angeles during his first visit to the United States. And, venerable talk show host Larry King had the privilege of interviewing President Mandela several times.
From a 27-year incarceration for his activities in South Africa's anti-apartheid movement to winning the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming president of the Republic of South Africa, spending his retirement years raising money to build schools and clinics in South Africa's rural areas and sharing his life and struggles in several books, Mandela proved that one man can make a difference. The world has lost a courageous and inspiring human being.
In a tribute to his life and legacy, we're joined by three people who have very personal remembrances of meeting the great man. Harry Belafonte—a tireless advocate for justice and equality in his own right—was a longtime friend and chaired the organization that introduced then-ANC Deputy President Mandela to the U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters first met Nelson Mandela in Los Angeles during his first visit to the United States. And, venerable talk show host Larry King had the privilege of interviewing President Mandela several times.
Next topic, are you an undocumented worker in the US? Better hope you're related to the President of the United States. As his aunt and uncle demonstrate, when you're related to him, even though you've been ordered out of the country, you get to stay. Everybody else, the White House insists, get out.
In his first term alone, he deported over 1.4 billion people. Wednesday morning, Cedric's "He can't stop lying" and Wally's "THIS JUST IN! HE LIES ABOUT EVERYTHING!" -- joint-post -- noted an interesting development in Onyango Obama's drunk driving case -- he told the judge that Barack lived with him for three weeks. The White House had insisted, following Onyango Obama's 2011 drunk driving arrest, that Barack had never, ever met his uncle (the only brother of Barack Obama Sr.).
Well pop goes the weasel!
Here's how Jeff Mason (Reuters) rushes to cover for Barack:
President Barack Obama lived briefly with his Kenyan-born uncle while attending law school, the White House said on Thursday, reversing earlier statements that there was no record of the two men ever having met.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said he clarified the issue with the president directly after reports that Onyango Obama, who faced deportation from the United States, said he had housed his nephew temporarily.
I know about the drunk driving only through Cedric and Wally's previous coverage. It's not an 'issue' I follow. But even I knew that the White House stated the two had never met.
You can be sure Barack Obama also knew the White House stated it.
Or is this another moment of, "Nobody told me!"
For two years, Barack let a lie stand. For two years, he refused to correct the record.
And now he's only doing it because his uncle's remarks in court leaked out.
Maria Sacchetti (Boston Globe) reminds:
In November 2011, a White House spokesman said he had no record of the two ever meeting. The Washington Post had also reported that scholars believed the two had never met.
The White House never moved to correct the record, until the president’s famously private uncle took the witness stand in Boston immigration court two days ago.
It's a lie.
That's not, "Impeach him! For lying!" But don't pretend that it didn't happen. I'd actually be more forgiving if we were told the clarification included a lie -- because this claim that he hadn't spoken to the man in 10 years and hadn't been face-to-face with him in 20?
That's disgusting.
Barack groupie Bruce Springsteen has a song entitled "Highway Patrolman" (first appears on Nebraska):
Yeah me and Frankie laughin' and drinkin'
Nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band
Played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good.
Barack had no blood relatives on the mainland (Hawaii's not the mainland, love the state, have a home there, but it's not the mainland). At that time or after. So to have an uncle in Boston when Barack's living in Chicago and Barack has no contact with him?
That's disgusting.
Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good
Apparently 'Dreams of My Father' are safe because Daddy's dead but to have your father's brother alive? You can use him when you're going to college but you have no desire to make your own living blood relative on the mainland part of your life? That's really sad.
But the lying part? To the American people, that's just unacceptable. It's not crime, you can't be impeached for it. But it's really sad that Barack is so unable to tell the truth. As Rebecca observed last night, noting Bruce A. Dixon's audio commentary for Black Agenda Report about Barack and Attorney General Eric Holder's remarks versus actions, "they just never stop lying, this administration."
Again, his latest lie? Not a crime, not an impeachable offense. It does, however, go to pattern and it goes to character. There's a reason he's polling so poorly and is considered untrustworthy. Maybe Ann Dumham didn't teach him Aesop's fable about The Boy Who Cried Wolf? Let's review it by way of a scene from season two of Kate & Allie, the "Rear Window" episode written by Stu Hample -- Susan Saint James played Kate, Jane Curtin played Allie and Fred Koehler played Chip.
Allie: Have you ever heard the story of the little boy who cried wolf?
Chip: Yeah, it's about a little boy who cried wolf.
Allie: A shepherd. The little shepherd went into the field one day and he got bored so he cried wolf. And all the villagers came running.
Kate: Right and when they saw there was no wolf, they got mad and they went home.
Allie: And the next week, he went into the field again, and he got bored again and he cried wolf again
Kate: And all the villagers came and when they saw there was no wolf there, they really got mad and went home again.
Allie: But the next time there really was a wolf. And the little boy cried wolf but nobody came. And the wolf ate the little boy.
In the wake of yesterday's NSA spying revelations, Barack wanted to vouch for the NSA in an interview today, wanted people to believe him. Matthew Hoye (CNN) quotes Barack declaring, "I've said before and I will say it again, the N.S.A. actually does a very good job about not engaging in domestic surveillance, not reading people's emails, not- listening to their- the contents of their phone calls. Outside of our borders, the N.S.A.'s more aggressive."
He wants to be believed.
After "If you like your plan, you can keep it." After misleading the American public with a tale of never having met his uncle. After that and so much more, he wants to be believed.
It's not that easy.
The lies that you tell
Will leave you alone
They'll keep you down
They'll catch you up and trip you up
Keep you hangin' around
-- "Love You By Heart," written by Carly Simon, Jacob Brackman and Libby Titus, first appears on Carly's Spy
Moving from Barack's statements to one by the US Embassy in Iraq today:
The U.S. Condemns December 4th Terrorist Attack in Kirkuk
December 5, 2013
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad strongly condemns the
December 4 terrorist attack in Kirkuk in which dozens of people were
killed or injured. The United States is committed in its support to the
Government of Iraq in combating terrorism. We extend our sincere
condolences to the families of the victims of the attack and hope for a
rapid recovery of the injured.
AFP reports:
Security forces early Thursday ended an hours-long siege at a mall in the northern city of Kirkuk but not before militants killed nine people, security officials and medics said.
The attack Wednesday on the mall in the oil rich ethnic tinderbox city, which involved a car bomb and would-be suicide bombers, came amid a surge in unrest that has claimed more than 6,200 lives this year.
In other violence, National Iraqi News Agency reports a Mada'in roadside bombing claimed 1 life and left five people injured, a Qara-Tepeh bombing claimed 1 life and left two injured, 3 people (two college students, one Sahwa) were shot dead in Mosul, 1 college student was killed in another shooting in Mosul, 1 Shabak was shot dead in Mosul, 1 Ministry of Industry employee was shot dead in Baghdad, the corpses of 2 Sahwa were discovered in Baghdad, and "Gunmen, wearing military uniforms, assassinated on Thursday 5, Dec the police officer of Aski police station after storming his house on the night of one of his sons wedding, killing three others, including the groom."
Meanwhile Aswat al-Iraq notes that "200 Badush prison guards in Mosul" have resigned "due to assassinations and threats."
As noted at the Prime Minister's official website, Nouri al-Maliki, wrapping up his two day visit to Iran, met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
Meanwhile, the State of Law Coalition, which Maliki leads, insisted on Maliki’s nomination for the premiership for a third term, a move rejected by the Sadrists and the Supreme Council.
There are reports that he was rebuffed. As Dar Addustour notes, his sudden visit follows cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr's announcement that Iranian authorities had decided they would not back Nouri for a third term. Moqtada made those statements on the weekend. On Monday, the media learned Nouri had decided to make a sudden trip to Iran. He did not inform Parliament of the hastily cobbled together visit.
Harith Hasan (Al-Monitor) looks at the conflict between Nouri and Moqtada:
While the last Iraqi general election in 2010 revolved around the rivalry between the State of Law Coalition, led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and the Iraqiya List, led by Ayad Allawi, the upcoming elections in April 2014 are more likely to be affected by the worsening conflict between Maliki and Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr. The latter has recently emerged as a major critic of the prime minister’s policies, even calling Maliki a dictator and advising him to not seek a third term.
State of Law MP Ali Shala is trying very hard to spin for Nouri. Sadly for Nouri, Shala doesn't know how to spin. Rudaw reports:
Shala insisted that rumors about Maliki’s pursuit of a third term and securing Tehran’s support are baseless. “These are all propaganda and only the ballot boxes can decide on the next prime minister, not the neighboring countries,” he said.
Iran, Iraq’s eastern neighbor, is a major power-broker in Iraq, exercising great influence through Sadr and other Shiite parties it supports.
[. . .] the State of Law official said that the National Alliance, a broad-based Shiite coalition comprising Sadrists, the Iraqi Supreme Islamic Council and State of Law, would re-nominate Maliki for a third tenure.
Rumors of a third term are baseless? But Shala says that Nouri's going to be nominated for a third term?
Okay, is the the third term attempt baseless or not?
At least there were no prominent defections from State of Law today, right?
Yesterday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki got some more bad news:
State of Law is the coalition Nouri created. Today it's the coalition with a high profile defection. Iraq Times notes that State of Law's leader in Parliament, Izzat al-Shahbandar, is the topic of speculation with rumors flying that he had resigned from State of Law. Alsumaria then reported that they could confirm the resignation via multiple sources. Hours later, All Iraq News noted Izzat al-Shahbander had publicly announced his resignation and declared, "The SLC [State of Law Coalition] turned into a sectarian coalition." All Iraq News also noted that al-Shahbander met with cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr on Tuesday. Kitabat quotes him stating that Nouri's positions and actions do not reflect his own beliefs and he cites Nouri's refusal to work with political opponents or to respect the ongoing sit-ins.
This is a major blow to Nouri. It's a loss at a time when Nouri's personal prestige was already on the decline. It's a loss that al-Shahbander and Moqtada can spin as 'the building of a new Iraq.' The two were at odds for some time. In fact, in 2011, the Sadr bloc was accusing al-Shahbander (and other State of Law MPs -- but they specifically named al-Shahbander) of procuring women for Nouri in the Green Zone. Now that can be put behind them, is the message, and the unity and good of Iraq can instead be embraced.
Mustafa Habib (Niqash) reports on the disintegration of Nouri's hold on State of Law:
As political parties prepare for upcoming general
elections, some very important alliances are falling apart. Shiite
Muslim parties allied in the current governing coalition led by PM
Nouri-al-Maliki say they will campaign alone - and they won’t promise
al-Maliki another term. Amid a surge in sectarian violence, could the
country finally be entering a post-sectarian political era?
Prominent Shiite Muslim politicians in Baghdad have
confessed that there is one major reason why the previously strong
alliance of Shiite Muslim parties is breaking up. This alliance was what
allowed current Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to form his ruling
coalition, the State of Law bloc. But now, as political parties start
negotiating partnerships and jockeying for position ahead of the
upcoming general elections, scheduled for April 2014, the formerly
strong Shiite Muslim alliances have fallen apart.
A special meeting was held in Baghdad on Nov. 18 at which
all member parties of al-Maliki’s alliance were present. A statement was
issued afterwards declaring, “Shiite Muslim parties are enthusiastic
about competing in the coming elections together”. But this seems to
have been spin: The reality on the ground is very different.
“The State of Law bloc has asked that all other parties
that want to enter into an alliance with it agree ahead of elections
that if they win, the future Prime Minister will come from the Dawa
party and that that party will not nominate anyone other than Nouri
al-Maliki,” a senior politician, who did not want to be named, told
NIQASH. “This is why the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and the Sadrist
bloc are avoiding any such alliance.”
The strongest Shiite Muslim parties in Iraq are
al-Maliki’s Dawa party, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, or ISCI,
headed by cleric Ammar al-Hakim and the Sadrist bloc, headed by another cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
There are also other minor Shiite Muslim parties such as the National
Reform Trend headed by former Prime Minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, and
the Islamic Virtue Party, or Fadhila, headed by controversial
Najaf-based cleric, Mohammed Musa al-Yaqoubi.
Both the Sadrist bloc and the ISCI seem firm about their
intentions not to enter into an alliance with al-Maliki’s party again.
Both al-Hakim and al-Sadr have been critical of al-Maliki’s government,
with al-Sadr being very harsh, very publicly and al-Hakim tending to be
quietly critical.
Hamza Mustafa (Asharq al-Awsat) reports:
In exclusive comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Hasnawi said: “There has been a political targeting of the Sadrist Movement and the Al-Ahrar bloc, particularly given that we are approaching the elections. The reason for this is to politically destroy opponents and harm their reputations, especially as the Al-Ahrar bloc is more active than others in raising corruption issues.”
“These are part of vengeful attempts against us which have become obvious to all,” he added.
Hasnawi accused Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki of being behind the issuance of the arrest warrants. He said: “The arrest warrants are dated and these cases have been closed for a long time. There is not a single one which is related to a new case, but there are judges who work as protectors for the prime minister who issue arrest warrants according to Maliki’s demands.”
“The arrest warrant against Baha Al-Araji is related to the Red Crescent issue, which was closed in 2008, and the warrant against Jawad Al-Shahili is related to the issue of MPs’ loans and he provided parliament with receipts,” the Sadrist Movement MP added.
He also accused MPs belonging to Maliki’s own State of Law coalition of corruption. He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “All these accusations are being made while there are still some State of Law Coalition MPs, such as Khalid Al-Attiyah, who spent much more on medical treatment and have not provided any official receipts.”
iraq
national iraqi news agency
niqash
mustafa habib
asharq al-awsat
hamza mustafa
al-monitor
the new york times
tim arrango
Prashant Rao
