This is another example of media bias and PSYOP - Psychological Operations (PSYOP) there are essentially two great forces in warfare: the physical and the moral. One a "direct" approach, concentrating on the opponent's physical forces, and the other an "indirect" approach, focusing on moral forces. Notice the source of the article below: 1. based out of London (Allawi's residence) and 2. It is currently the only newspaper to own the Arabic copyright of renowned international syndicates; The Washington Post, USA Today and global viewpoint. Who is rumored to be the U.S. choice? Allawi. So, the below article is a bit of reverse psychology ... most will interperate the article as "how dare Iran tell Iraq what to do" If Iran wants Maliki in power then that must be a "bad' thing and we cannot let that happen" Have you been fooled today? (additional links provided below article)July 29, 2010
Iran Orders its Iraqi Allies to Accept Al-Maliki as PM or Else
Asharq Al-Awsat
London, Asharq al-Awsat - An informed source has revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Iran has sent a strongly-worded message to its allies in the Islamic Supreme Council which is led by Ammar al-Hakim and Al-Sadr Trend which is led by Muqtada al-Sadr to the effect that they have no choice but to accept Nuri al-Maliki, the outgoing prime minister and leader of the State of Law Coalition [SLC], as the candidate to head the next government.
The source, which is a leading member in the Iraqi National Alliance [INA] that is led by Al-Hakim, said the Iranian message said "you will accept Al-Maliki even if he hits you on your heads." According to this source, Muqtada al-Sadr "was banned from traveling to Arbil to meet several political parties in the country." Speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, the source added that Al-Sadr wanted to travel to Arbil "but pressures exerted on him by Iran prevented him from traveling because of his recent stands which rejected Al-Maliki and because he was getting close to Al-Iraqiya List which is led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi." The source refused however to provide more details. Al-Sadr met Allawi in Damascus before two weeks and it was reported that they agreed to meet again in Arbil where they would be joined by Kurdistan Region President Masud Barzani and Al-Hakim.
But a leading member in Al-Sadr Trend asserted to Asharq Al-Awsat that Al-Sadr "does not allow any pressures to be exerted on him by any side and he acts freely in his political approaches." He denied that Iran did actually ban him from traveling to Arbil and said "all the trends are exercising their freedom to act. Even if there are American or Iranian agendas inside the country, they will not be at the expense of the national ones." He stressed that "there is no objection" to the pressures to have Al-Maliki prime minister "but on condition there are guarantees from him that he will change his government's policy. Since Al-Maliki has not done so, therefore his nomination for a second term is unacceptable to the Trend." Asked if pressures were exerted on Al-Sadr before he traveled to Damascus and which he resisted, the source said "no pressures were exerted. Muqtada al-Sadr decided to travel to Damascus in response to an invitation from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and he met Iraqi leaders so as to facilitate the atmospheres and end the political crisis. What he wanted did actually happen. As to Arbil's visit too, Al-Sadr spoke to Barzani who invited him but Al-Sadr has not decided its date yet."
The Iranian position supporting Al-Maliki probably explains his SLC's optimistic stand about his chances of winning the nomination of the National Alliance which is made up of his coalition and the INA. Leaders from the latter are stressing that the alliance is on the verge of collapse because of Al-Maliki's insistence on being the National Alliance's sole candidate for heading the next government. In this context, Hasan al-Shammari, a leading member in Al-Fadilah Party, one of INA's components, said the "collapse of the alliance between the SLC and INA is very likely if the SLC insists on its sole candidate for prime minister which most INA blocs reject."
On his part, Adnan al-Sarraj, a leading SLC member, said the coming few days would see a quick return to negotiations between the two alliances so as to come out with a single candidate from the National Alliance, stressing that the latter would not collapse. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Alliance "will remain cohesive and nominate Al-Maliki for prime minister."
Iran Orders its Iraqi Allies to Accept Al-Maliki as PM or Else
Asharq Al-Awsat
London, Asharq al-Awsat - An informed source has revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Iran has sent a strongly-worded message to its allies in the Islamic Supreme Council which is led by Ammar al-Hakim and Al-Sadr Trend which is led by Muqtada al-Sadr to the effect that they have no choice but to accept Nuri al-Maliki, the outgoing prime minister and leader of the State of Law Coalition [SLC], as the candidate to head the next government.
The source, which is a leading member in the Iraqi National Alliance [INA] that is led by Al-Hakim, said the Iranian message said "you will accept Al-Maliki even if he hits you on your heads." According to this source, Muqtada al-Sadr "was banned from traveling to Arbil to meet several political parties in the country." Speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, the source added that Al-Sadr wanted to travel to Arbil "but pressures exerted on him by Iran prevented him from traveling because of his recent stands which rejected Al-Maliki and because he was getting close to Al-Iraqiya List which is led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi." The source refused however to provide more details. Al-Sadr met Allawi in Damascus before two weeks and it was reported that they agreed to meet again in Arbil where they would be joined by Kurdistan Region President Masud Barzani and Al-Hakim.
But a leading member in Al-Sadr Trend asserted to Asharq Al-Awsat that Al-Sadr "does not allow any pressures to be exerted on him by any side and he acts freely in his political approaches." He denied that Iran did actually ban him from traveling to Arbil and said "all the trends are exercising their freedom to act. Even if there are American or Iranian agendas inside the country, they will not be at the expense of the national ones." He stressed that "there is no objection" to the pressures to have Al-Maliki prime minister "but on condition there are guarantees from him that he will change his government's policy. Since Al-Maliki has not done so, therefore his nomination for a second term is unacceptable to the Trend." Asked if pressures were exerted on Al-Sadr before he traveled to Damascus and which he resisted, the source said "no pressures were exerted. Muqtada al-Sadr decided to travel to Damascus in response to an invitation from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and he met Iraqi leaders so as to facilitate the atmospheres and end the political crisis. What he wanted did actually happen. As to Arbil's visit too, Al-Sadr spoke to Barzani who invited him but Al-Sadr has not decided its date yet."
The Iranian position supporting Al-Maliki probably explains his SLC's optimistic stand about his chances of winning the nomination of the National Alliance which is made up of his coalition and the INA. Leaders from the latter are stressing that the alliance is on the verge of collapse because of Al-Maliki's insistence on being the National Alliance's sole candidate for heading the next government. In this context, Hasan al-Shammari, a leading member in Al-Fadilah Party, one of INA's components, said the "collapse of the alliance between the SLC and INA is very likely if the SLC insists on its sole candidate for prime minister which most INA blocs reject."
On his part, Adnan al-Sarraj, a leading SLC member, said the coming few days would see a quick return to negotiations between the two alliances so as to come out with a single candidate from the National Alliance, stressing that the latter would not collapse. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Alliance "will remain cohesive and nominate Al-Maliki for prime minister."
http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=21787
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Asharq Al-Awsat
The leading Arabic international paper
Asharq Al-Awsat is the world's premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, Printed simultaneously on four continents in 12 cities.
Launched in London in 1978, Asharq Al-Awsat has established itself as the decisive publication on pan- Arab and international affairs, offering its reader's in-depth analysis and exclusive editorials, as well as the most comprehensive coverage of the entire Arab World.
Asharq Al-Awsat was the first Arabic daily newspaper to execute satellite transmission for simultaneous printing in a number of major cities worldwide, and is currently the only newspaper to own the Arabic copyright of renowned international syndicates; The Washington Post, USA Today and global viewpoint.
Progressive and comprehensive, Asharq Al-Awsat is the preferred daily Arab- language newspaper, with its readership penetrating all socio-economic groups. Famous for conducting in-depth interviews with prominent and influential personalities alike, Asharq Al-Awsat's news team provide their world wide readers with objective and impartial news coverage, thus cementing the journalistic integrity of the newspaper.
Because of its unrivaled style Asharq Al-Awsat continues to out perform every regional or local Arabic daily newspaper, and this success is attributed to its dedicated and experienced team of skilled journalists, editors and columnists combining editorial talent, professionalism, years of journalistic knowledge and the motivation for news reporting.
______
_______
Asharq Al-Awsat
The leading Arabic international paper
Asharq Al-Awsat is the world's premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, Printed simultaneously on four continents in 12 cities.
Launched in London in 1978, Asharq Al-Awsat has established itself as the decisive publication on pan- Arab and international affairs, offering its reader's in-depth analysis and exclusive editorials, as well as the most comprehensive coverage of the entire Arab World.
Asharq Al-Awsat was the first Arabic daily newspaper to execute satellite transmission for simultaneous printing in a number of major cities worldwide, and is currently the only newspaper to own the Arabic copyright of renowned international syndicates; The Washington Post, USA Today and global viewpoint.
Progressive and comprehensive, Asharq Al-Awsat is the preferred daily Arab- language newspaper, with its readership penetrating all socio-economic groups. Famous for conducting in-depth interviews with prominent and influential personalities alike, Asharq Al-Awsat's news team provide their world wide readers with objective and impartial news coverage, thus cementing the journalistic integrity of the newspaper.
Because of its unrivaled style Asharq Al-Awsat continues to out perform every regional or local Arabic daily newspaper, and this success is attributed to its dedicated and experienced team of skilled journalists, editors and columnists combining editorial talent, professionalism, years of journalistic knowledge and the motivation for news reporting.
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March 31, 2010
In Iraqi Politics, Considering the Commute
BAGHDAD – Ayad Allawi’s opponents pulled few punches in the close-run election campaign that he won, calling him a new Saddam, a Baathist, a friend of terrorists, even questioning his parentage — claiming he could not become prime minister because his mother was not born an Iraqi. Interestingly, one thing they did not often accuse him of was living abroad and only visiting Iraq when it was convenient — like when he ran for prime minister.
There’s a good reason for that: Most of his opponents didn’t dare mention that because it would only end in holding a mirror up to their own residency issues. Iraq may well be the only country in the world where a substantial part of its government commutes to work — from other countries.
There’s a good reason for that: Most of his opponents didn’t dare mention that because it would only end in holding a mirror up to their own residency issues. Iraq may well be the only country in the world where a substantial part of its government commutes to work — from other countries.
If you spend a few hours at Baghdad International Airport departure terminal, you could run into half of the Iraqi politicians there. As the planes starts to leave to various destinations, you can see where the politicians are heading.
The Tehran flight, for example, will have a number of Shiite politicians, like Ali al-Adeeb, a leading figure in the Dawa Party. The Dubai flight will have politicians like the elder statesman Adnan al-Pachachi. The Beirut flight will have Izzat Ashabender, the member of parliament, who split from Mr. Allawi and joined Mr. Maliki in the last elections. The Iraqi minister of interior, Jawad al-Bolani, could be sitting on the same flight you are taking to Amman, Jordan, where he has his family, except he will be in first class.
Mr. Allawi’s wife, Thanaa, and their three children live in London, where his two daughters, Sara, 20, and Najat, 18, are in college, and his 14-year-old son, Hamza, is in high school. “I see my family once a year,” he said. No one, however, believes that, and until the election campaign it was rare to find Mr. Allawi in Baghdad.
There are obvious reasons for this, chiefly security concerns, as Mr. Allawi pointed out in an interview with The New York Times. Sara did return to help in her father’s election campaign. “My eldest daughter, unfortunately, is too political,” he said. “She came in for the elections and she wants to come back again. Last night I was talking to my wife and I said, ‘Convince her not to come back.’”
Another factor is that many of Iraq’s political leaders are former exiles who spent large parts of their adult lives abroad; that means they raised families in other cultures and often their children have acculturated somewhere else. Even if they wanted to come back — and who would rather live in Baghdad than, say, Paris or London — their accents and lack of knowledge of Iraqi culture would give them away to anyone who might want to do them harm.
Some politicians did return, of course, after Saddam Hussein fell, but the security situation forced most to relocate their families abroad again. Many of the Iraqi politicians had other passports that they used during Mr. Hussein’s rule.
Rumors widely circulated on the Internet, and widely believed here, say that 29 of Iraq’s ambassadors abroad hold dual citizenship in the country where they are posted. Of course, most politicians find it convenient to pretend that they live in Iraq, and would deny that their foreign homes are anything other than second residences. But in Iraq’s tribal culture, where gossip is akin to a bloodsport, it’s pretty hard to hide the fact that you’re often never here.
I now prepare to leave Baghdad, the city in which I was born, raised, educated and where I worked and survived several bombings, because it is a place where I no longer feel I belong. I look back and feel sorry that all those politicians who came from America, Britain, France and throughout the world were unable to give Baghdad the glimmer and glory it had decades ago when it was the jewel in the crown of the Arab capitals in the Middle East. Instead, the streets of Baghdad were filled with the blood and bodies of its sons.
Luckily, I’ve just received my visa to emigrate to the United States, and I leave in 10 days. Who knows, if I give up journalism I might have a future in Iraqi politics — from my new American home.
The Tehran flight, for example, will have a number of Shiite politicians, like Ali al-Adeeb, a leading figure in the Dawa Party. The Dubai flight will have politicians like the elder statesman Adnan al-Pachachi. The Beirut flight will have Izzat Ashabender, the member of parliament, who split from Mr. Allawi and joined Mr. Maliki in the last elections. The Iraqi minister of interior, Jawad al-Bolani, could be sitting on the same flight you are taking to Amman, Jordan, where he has his family, except he will be in first class.
Mr. Allawi’s wife, Thanaa, and their three children live in London, where his two daughters, Sara, 20, and Najat, 18, are in college, and his 14-year-old son, Hamza, is in high school. “I see my family once a year,” he said. No one, however, believes that, and until the election campaign it was rare to find Mr. Allawi in Baghdad.
There are obvious reasons for this, chiefly security concerns, as Mr. Allawi pointed out in an interview with The New York Times. Sara did return to help in her father’s election campaign. “My eldest daughter, unfortunately, is too political,” he said. “She came in for the elections and she wants to come back again. Last night I was talking to my wife and I said, ‘Convince her not to come back.’”
Another factor is that many of Iraq’s political leaders are former exiles who spent large parts of their adult lives abroad; that means they raised families in other cultures and often their children have acculturated somewhere else. Even if they wanted to come back — and who would rather live in Baghdad than, say, Paris or London — their accents and lack of knowledge of Iraqi culture would give them away to anyone who might want to do them harm.
Some politicians did return, of course, after Saddam Hussein fell, but the security situation forced most to relocate their families abroad again. Many of the Iraqi politicians had other passports that they used during Mr. Hussein’s rule.
Rumors widely circulated on the Internet, and widely believed here, say that 29 of Iraq’s ambassadors abroad hold dual citizenship in the country where they are posted. Of course, most politicians find it convenient to pretend that they live in Iraq, and would deny that their foreign homes are anything other than second residences. But in Iraq’s tribal culture, where gossip is akin to a bloodsport, it’s pretty hard to hide the fact that you’re often never here.
I now prepare to leave Baghdad, the city in which I was born, raised, educated and where I worked and survived several bombings, because it is a place where I no longer feel I belong. I look back and feel sorry that all those politicians who came from America, Britain, France and throughout the world were unable to give Baghdad the glimmer and glory it had decades ago when it was the jewel in the crown of the Arab capitals in the Middle East. Instead, the streets of Baghdad were filled with the blood and bodies of its sons.
Luckily, I’ve just received my visa to emigrate to the United States, and I leave in 10 days. Who knows, if I give up journalism I might have a future in Iraqi politics — from my new American home.
...(Have you been fooled today?)
