June 12, 2010Iraq's Shi'ite coalition, still searching for a PM
Iraqiyya TV (no relation to the Iraqiyya list) ran a "breaking news" headline on Thursday night announcing an official merger between Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition and the Iraqi National Alliance Shi'ite bloc.
The State of Law-INA merger was unofficially announced more than a month ago, and the new governing coalition still hasn't picked a prime minister. They did pick a name (National Alliance), but otherwise there's nothing new in this announcement.
It is noteworthy though that the innovation of the "State of Law" concept lost out in the process, highlighting the return to sectarian politics in which issues count for nothing and where everyone makes tongue-in-cheek appeals to the idea of nationalism. So far, the only thing the new Shiite bloc seem able to agree on is the fact that they consider themselves "the biggest".
The State of Law-INA merger was unofficially announced more than a month ago, and the new governing coalition still hasn't picked a prime minister. They did pick a name (National Alliance), but otherwise there's nothing new in this announcement.
It is noteworthy though that the innovation of the "State of Law" concept lost out in the process, highlighting the return to sectarian politics in which issues count for nothing and where everyone makes tongue-in-cheek appeals to the idea of nationalism. So far, the only thing the new Shiite bloc seem able to agree on is the fact that they consider themselves "the biggest".
Everything about the last few months -- the Supreme Court's article 76 decision, the constant warnings from all sides about sectarian warfare, the meddling by neighboring countries -- has served to discredit the political process and the government as a whole.
Maliki's bloc will win the war -- though Maliki himself will probably lose his coveted second term as prime minister, (me guessing Jafari), but at a steep cost.
What's Iyad Allawi up to?
A frantic final effort to secure a place for his coalition, it seems. Iraqi TV networks are reporting that Maliki and Allawi will finally meet tonight, after months of failing to schedule a meeting. Senior members of their coalitions met in Baghdad on Thursday, so perhaps they laid the groundwork for a Maliki-Allawi meeting. (Or perhaps not; we'll see if this meeting actually happens.)
Allawi also published an op-ed in Thursday's Washington Post accusing Maliki of squashing Iraq's fragile democracy. He didn't explicitly call for the US to delay its withdrawal from Iraq over the post-election political paralysis, but he came close.
Washington still has unrivaled leverage in Iraq, as well as a moral responsibility to the Iraqi people whom it freed from tyranny to do all it can to deliver sustainable peace and stability.
Vice President Biden recently said that the United States was "going to be able to keep our commitment" to reduce troop levels in Iraq to 50,000 by this summer. While I have long supported the withdrawal of U.S. troops, Iraq cannot be allowed to revert to an unstable state of sectarian strife, dominated by regional influences.
Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of US forces in Iraq, said last week that the withdrawal is still on track, despite Iraq's political problems.
Someone in Allawi's camp also leaked a rumor that he's the target of an assassination plot orchestrated by "a neighboring state" (Iran).
Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of US forces in Iraq, said last week that the withdrawal is still on track, despite Iraq's political problems.
Someone in Allawi's camp also leaked a rumor that he's the target of an assassination plot orchestrated by "a neighboring state" (Iran).
Iraqiyya didn't disclose any details of the plot, but the leak was obviously intended to taint the National Alliance, elements of which have close ties to Tehran.
US Assistant Secretary of State due in Iraq ...
Saturday, June 12, 2010
US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman announced that he will be visiting Iraq next week (Sunday) for talks over the formation of the new government.US Department spokesman Philip Crowley affirmed that Feltman will discuss recent developments in Iraq and focus on the formation of the new government.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs is due to meet Iraqi officials and US Embassy employees in Iraq in addition to US Forces chiefs in order to assess the progress of shifting US-Iraqi relations into a civilian partnership, Crowley added.
AFPglobal
