Typically when I run across headlines with the words; the 'US' and 'Iranian backed agents' linked together I'll write it off as more propaganda designed to put pressure on Iran by MNF-I. However, this Gulfnews article provided some interesting revelations...
To wit:
US Security forces in Iraq have hundreds of names of people accused of links with special groups supported by Iran, including well-known politicians, sources in Iraq's interior ministry told Gulf News.
Last week's arrest of Ali Faisal Al Lami, a top Shiite Iraqi official who allegedly has ties with Iranian-backed militias is proof of the existence of such a list, the same sources explained. Al Lami is accused by the US of being behind a bomb attack that left four Americans and six Iraqis dead last June.
Asked about Al Lami's detention, the US authorities said that there were hundreds of wanted people, accused of cooperating with the Iranian Al Quds army, transferring funds to the special Shiite groups that were fighting US forces in Iraq.
Al Lami has long standing ties with Ahmed Chalabi and the Iraq National Congress, you remember them, the ones that we funded and relied upon for all that misguided intel... Anyways, Chalabi did protest the arrest...
Chalabi condemned the arrest Thursday night. "This incident shows the need for an end to the random arrest of Iraqis by the American forces, which are against the human rights outlined in the constitution. It proves for a fact that each Iraqi might be arrested or put in prison without knowing the reasons," he said in a news release. He couldn't be reached for further comment.
Suck it up, Ahmed! Now, getting back to the original article, this interesting factoid emerged...
"The Americans informed the Iraqi government that this list will remain within the responsibility of the US security apparatus even after the US-Iraqi treaty is signed" added the source in the ministry...
..."These forces are special armed brigades that attack US forces in Iraq. The Iraqi government does not have any evidence that Iran supports these groups, but the Iraqi government has outlawed these groups, and they will be punished" said Hassan Sari, Iraqi Minister of State, told Gulf News.
Hashem Hassan, an Iraqi political analyst told Gulf News that there were several Shiite "wanted" lists, and he was certain that the US was able to get substantial information about these groups, when the Iraqi government recently carried out operations in Basra, Baghdad and Mosul.
What I find so interesting is that the US will retain the list, and, apparently act on it either alone or in conjunction with the Interior Ministry... I think we've seen it happen in Diala recently, too! Something I'd covered in this previous post...
Here's some key snippets...
..."Clashes erupted between an interior ministry force coming from Baghdad and local policemen in Diala after the arrest of Diala University President Nizar al-Khazraji in the area of al-Hai al-Sinaie, southwest of Baaquba city,"
Spokesmen for Maliki, a Shiite Muslim, and the Defense Ministry said the prime minister had not ordered the raids.
..."These special forces work with the Americans. They are not associated with the Ministry of Defense," ministry spokesman Mohammed Askari said. "They have goals, and they didn't inform anyone else."
...A spokesman for the Iraqi Diyala Operations Center told McClatchy the raiding party was a "special unit" of the Iraqi Army, which works closely with U.S. forces. Diyala governor Raad Rashid told McClatchy the troops wore U.S. fatigues and carried U.S.-issued equipment.
"They were wearing khaki. Their weapons were American. The Humvees they used looked American," said a surviving secretary, Abbas Adnan, who was in the government compound when it was raided. "They didn't have any ranks on their shoulders. They didn't talk."
An officer in the Iraqi Diyala Operations Room said the unit "that came to conduct the operation had air cover. This air cover was American helicopters. They shot at the police in protection of their unit."
Now, what I'm perplexed about is how much Maliki is aware of, or, participatory in the arrests...
As Roads to Iraq points out: "Head of Badr Organization took the role of Army Chief of Staff in Diyala." Iran is mainly allied with Abdul Aziz al-Hakim and his Badr corps paramilitary, which has become the backbone of al-Maliki's security forces, so is there a schism developing between Dawa and ISCI, or not?
Then you have Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari rolling out the red carpet again to Iran's Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs to discuss bilateral cooperation...
Will the US target Zebari, or Badr members like they should've early on if they were so concerned about Iranian participation...
Who's running the show these days? Or is there too many chefs in the kitchen...? I tend to favor the latter...
It seems I haven't missed much... McSame claims Iraq is a 'peaceful stable country now' and Maliki continues to target the Sahwa and Sadrists. The SOFA is still stalled and Diala is still the powder keg fixing to explode! Yep, same old, same old...
However in several surprise moves Maliki has now set his sights on the Kurds...
A lawmaker from the main Shiite bloc on Friday said Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has threatened the deployment of Kurdish forces outside the Kurdish enclave would make them face legal actions... ...“PM Al-Maliki told Kurds any Peshmerga fighter deployed outside the blue line would face legal actions,” MP Humam Hamoudi from the United Iraqi Coalition(UIC) bloc told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq(VOI).
Maliki has told the Kurds to get behind the 1991 blue line or else! In other Kurdish related moves, Maliki is also targeting the Kurds' budget allocations. He is trying to reduce the Kurdish allotment from 17% to 14%. Another interesting move by Maliki is the removal of Kurds from the SOFA negotiations, as Roads to Iraq noted...
This is the Kurds version:
According to Kurdish MP Mahmud Othman, Maliki is not satisfied with the Foreign Ministry team and want to supervise the negotiation by himself. That is why he chose the new team members from his loyalists.
But it is unknown if Maliki wants to remove the Kurds from the negotiations because there is no official statement yet.
The Political Council for National Security is regularly updated on the progress of negotiations taking place between Baghdad and Washington over the long-term security agreement, a Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC) leader said on Saturday.
"The council is constantly updated on what is going on between Iraq and the United States with regards to the security strategy," read an UIC statement received by Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI), quoting Redha Jawad Taqi.
The council comprises the Iraqi presidency, the prime ministry and the Parliament's presidency.
"The negotiating delegation with the United States is a governmental, rather than a political delegation. It does not represent political blocs or parties. The government is the authority concerned with the negotiations and is responsible for the formation of the delegation and its change," Taqi added.
I find it amusing in their choice of wording and their insistence that it's not a 'political' move, rather a 'governmental' move...
In a surprise twist, it seems that Shrub is headed to Iraq in the near future... It seems it would have to occur after his RNC convention speech though...
The newest blogger at Abu Muqawama, Iraqologist, fleshes out Maliki's actions against the Kurds...
Barzani’s office issued a statement saying it’s odd, since Khanaqin is a pretty safe place, that the IA would enter ostensibly to combat terrorism. Another prominent Kurdish official went on to claim that the “government mobilization” on Khanaqin was intended to preempt its resolution by 140. Then Maliki said that it was the “right of the army to enter any province or region in Iraq without exception” [emphasis added to highlight inflammatoriness]. Barzani responded by saying that the KRG was ready to “play cards it has never played before,” including withdrawing support from Maliki’s government....
...The PUK/KDP had as a tactical ally in this effort ISCI, with whom their relationship goes back to at least 1992, not borne out of the exigencies of post-2003 politics as many assume. ISCI was a full partner in the drafting of the constitution, even though its own region-formation ambitions appear to have faded for now. ISCI has supported Kurdish claims on Kirkuk, but since they no longer appear much interested in creating a balanced, symmetrical federalist system in Iraq, it has less strategic interest in taking this position. In other words, since ISCI appears committed to dominating Iraq from Baghdad, it’s not in their interest to be effectively ceding territory. They certainly don’t seem to be standing in the way of Maliki/IA’s recent agitation against the Kurds.
Perhaps more importantly, though Maliki has glommed himself onto ISCI in most respects, he is still his own man and does come from a much different ideological background. Iraqologist tends to explain current Iraqi politics in terms of money and power rather than ideology, but it may be worth pointing out here that Maliki has never been much of a fan of federalism (cf Visser). Even if that’s not convincing, his current much-discussed overconfidence and strongman ambitions should be enough evidence that he’s not about to give in to the Kurds, despite their being a pillar of his government. Arab Iraqis are getting pretty fed up with PUK/KDP territorial ambitions—especially after their obstructionism on the PEL—and he can get a lot of mileage out of this.
Anyway, the big point here is that the main ISCI/Kurd/Maliki bedrock alliance of the past two years is showing some strain. Iraqologist could go on and on speculating about the implications of this, how much is the result of chance (and the recent Maliki psychodrama) vs. how much it’s a consequence of the “center” emerging in Baghdad and how that affects calculations on all sides.
Azzaman talked about the souring relations between the Kurds and Maliki too...
Now, on a personal note, I'd like to apologize for my unanticipated absence. As I live on a fixed income and my food supply for my family was depleted, I had to pawn my computer to buy groceries... I apologize, but I had to do what I had to do... (P.S. I have a 'donate' button above)
I'm always fascinated by McBush's claims that he's always looked out for veterans and their best interests. Supposedly, they've reciprocated the love by awarding him perfect voting records as he states in that video. I'd be amused at seeing him squirm as he's confronted with his actual votes, like he does in the video, if it wasn't such a tragedy...
First off let's look at how several veteran's groups actually graded his track record...
The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) awarded him a 'D', Obama was awarded a 'B+'...
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) gave him a 33% rating, Obama received a 89% rating...
Ironically, even his homeys, the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) states that McCain has voted against 15 of the bills they endorsed and cosponsored none, whereas, Obama has voted for 13 of them and cosponsored 7 bills...
Now, I'd like to zero in on his love of the Dept. of Veteran's Affairs...
August 2001: McCain voted against increasing the amount available for medical care for veterans by $650,000,000.
March 2004: McCain voted against creating a reserve fund to allow for an increase in Veterans' medical care by $1.8 billion.
March 2006: McCain voted against increasing Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes.
April 2006: McCain was one of only 13 Senators to vote against $430,000,000 for the Department of Veteran Affairs for Medical Services for outpatient care and treatment for veterans.
May 2006: McCain voted against an amendment that would provide $20 billion to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care facilities.
...the Republican's presumptive nominee has talked of a new mission for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and argued that veterans with non-combat medical problems should be given vouchers to receive care at private, for-profit hospitals -- in other words, an end to the kind of universal health care the government has guaranteed veterans for generations.
"We need to relieve the burden on the VA from routine health care," McCain told the National Forum on Disability Issues last month. "If you have a routine health care need, take it wherever you want, whatever doctor or health care provider and get the treatment you need, while we at the VA focus our attention, our care, our love, on these grievous wounds of war."
The Republican senator argues that giving veterans a VA card that they can use at private doctors would shorten the long wait times many veterans face in seeing government doctors, who are nearly universally viewed as among the best in the world.
A recent study by the RAND Corporation found that "VA patients were more likely to receive recommended care" and "received consistently better care across the board, including screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow up" than that delivered by other U.S. health care providers.
What do the vet groups have to say about it...
Virtually all veterans groups oppose McCain's plan. The Veterans of Foreign Wars' national legislative director has said the VA card would "undermine the entire system". [...]
Paul Sullivan, a Gulf War veteran and executive director of the non-partisan Veterans for Common Sense, says that for McCain, free market ideology is more important than providing care for former soldiers.
"Ideologues like John McCain and George Bush hate the fact that the VA exists," Sullivan told IPS, noting that the Republican candidate also wants to partially privatise social security and offer private school vouchers to students currently enrolled in public schools.
"They hate the fact that there's a functional example out there of the government providing better care at a lower cost than the private sector," Sullivan said. "The problem that the VA faces now is that the Bush administration failed to hire enough doctors and disability claims adjusters when they chose to go to war with Iraq. If these doctors had been hired, the VA would be an example of the government doing good work. Bush and McCain don't want the public to see that."
Now the article also goes on to point out a critical flaw in the proposed plan...
McCain has also never spelled out what he means by a "combat injury", leading many veterans worried they could be left out in the cold.
"If I'm driving a Humvee in Iraq and a roadside bomb explodes and I veer off the road and crush my arm and end up losing it and needing a prosthetic, is that a combat wound according to Sen. McCain?" asked retired Air Force Colonel Richard Klass, the president of the Council for a Livable World's VETPAC, which has endorsed Obama.
Official Pentagon policy calls such an incident a non-combat injury. Technically speaking, the only soldiers "wounded" in combat are those hit by direct enemy fire. As of Aug. 5, Department of Defense statistics showed 32,799 U.S. soldiers had been "wounded" in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another 10,685 had sustained "non-hostile" injuries which required a medical evacuation, while 29,881 were classified as "ill" enough to be airlifted out of the war-zone.
That's a lot that could be excluded if they stick to the hostile fire injuries only...
Now, bear in mind that I've basically stuck to the VA issues... Let's not go there on the GI Bill, or the Iraq votes, or the early vote for Armor etc...
I'd seen an anecdote at one Vet site, I can't recall which one, but it does fit the bill...
"A veteran voting for McBush is akin to a chicken voting for Col. Sanders..."
There is a flurry of reports and speculation running rampant around the web as to what really happened and why it happened in Diyala early Tuesday morning. I'd like to look at the 'news' reports and then tackle some of the Blog speculation that abounds...
First, I'll set the stage, in that clip above, MG Hertling described the launch of Operation Bashaer al-Kheir (Promise of Good) and how it was a province-wide operation led by the Iraqis with only minimal US guidance. With the launch of it, numerous Sunnis were targeted as noted here...
BAGHDAD (AP) — The Shiite-led government is cracking down on U.S.-backed Sunni Arab fighters in one of Iraq’s most turbulent regions, arresting some leaders, disarming dozens of men and banning them from manning checkpoints except alongside official security forces.
Now, I'll post a series of articles from Aswat Aliraq in chronological order as the story unfolded...
DIALA, Aug. 19 (VOI) – An Iraqi police force arrested the official in charge of the Diala provincial council's security committee in central Baaquba on Tuesday, an official police source in the province said.
"The forced raided the Diala provincial council HQ (known as the Blue Dome building) in central Baaquba and arrested Hussein al-Zubeidi," the source, who requested anonymity out of security concerns, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI) on Tuesday.
The force was coming from the capital Baghdad in search of Diala officials who are on the wanted list, the source said.
He did not elaborate on the reasons for the measure.
Iraqi policemen killed a bodyguard of Diala Governor Raad Rasheed al-Mulla and beat his deputy during a raid on his office on Tuesday, an official police source in Diala said.
"A police force raided the local administration building in central Baaquba and clashed one of his bodyguards, Abbas al-Makthami, but failed to arrest the governor, who was not available during the raid time," the source, who asked not to be named, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).
"The force, which came from Baghdad, also beat Deputy Governor Awf Rahoumi for trying to stop the raiding security men," the source added.
Earlier on Tuesday, the same source said that Iraqi policemen arrested the official in charge of the Diala provincial council's security committee in central Baaquba.
DIALA, Aug. 19 (VOI) – Four policemen were wounded in clashes after the detention of the Diala University president on Tuesday, an official police source in the province said.
"Clashes erupted between an interior ministry force coming from Baghdad and local policemen in Diala after the arrest of Diala University President Nizar al-Khazraji in the area of al-Hai al-Sinaie, southwest of Baaquba city," the source, who did not want to be named, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).
DIALA, Aug. 19 (VOI) – Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Tuesday issued an order to form a ministerial committee to investigate the recent incidents in Diala where the governor’s secretary was killed and a number of officials were arrested by Iraqi security forces, the deputy governor said.
“The premier ordered to form a committee under Interior Minister Jawad al-Boulani to investigate the incidents in Diala today, during which the governor’s secretary was killed and a number of officials were arrested by Iraqi forces,” Deputy Governor Awf Rahoumi told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).
DIALA, Aug. 20 (VOI) – The deputy governor of Diala on Wednesday said that the forces which raided the headquarters of the local administration last midnight and assaulted local officials were not affiliated with any security ministry.
"Unidentified Iraqi forces that have no ties whatsoever with the ministries of defense and interior raided the building of the local administration; which is the headquarters of the governor, his deputy and assistants, in Baaquba last midnight. The forces physically and verbally assaulted all officials and security guards in the building and killed Abbas al-Tamimi, the secretary of Diala's governor, Raad Rasheed al-Mulla Jawad, without valid reasons," Awf Rahoumi said in statements to Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).
BAGHDAD, Aug. 20 (VOI) - The deputy president of the Parliament's Security and Defense Committee on Wednesday demanded to dissolve the counter-terrorism unit and its special forces, describing the arrest of officials in Diala as a brutal act.
"As a deputy president of the Security and Defense Committee, I call to dissolve the special forces in the counter-terrorism unit and to integrate them into the defense and the interior ministries, in addition to calling to hold these forces accountable for their violations in the province."
Iraqi security forces, from Baghdad, waged a crackdown operation yesterday in separate areas of Diala, where they arrested President Nizar al-Khazraji and the official of the security committee Hussin al-Zubaidi.
He voices hope that the investigation committee formed by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is “fair.”
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Tuesday issued an order to form a ministerial committee to investigate the recent incidents in Diala where the governor’s secretary was killed and a number of officials were arrested by Iraqi security forces, the deputy governor said.
Did you notice that the first reports claimed it was Police forces from Baghdad then went downhill from there? Interesting...
Predawn raids by elite Iraqi forces Tuesday resulted in the fatal shooting of a government employee and the arrest of two prominent Sunni Arab Muslims, witnesses and officials said.
The troops were with the central government's counter-terrorism units, said Gov. Raad Tamimi of Diyala province, where the raid took place. The forces stormed the governorate building in the city of Baqubah and arrested Sunni provincial council member Hussein Zubaidi, a member of the Iraqi Islamic Party.
Another raid led to the arrest of a prominent Sunni university dean.
Questions swirled around who deployed the troops. The special forces unit, referred to by detractors as the dirty squad, reports to Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's counter-terrorism office. Spokesmen for Maliki, a Shiite Muslim, and the Defense Ministry said the prime minister had not ordered the raids.
"These special forces work with the Americans. They are not associated with the Ministry of Defense," ministry spokesman Mohammed Askari said. "They have goals, and they didn't inform anyone else."
The unit, long considered Iraq's most effective, generally operates with U.S. military advisors and has been sent on missions targeting the insurgent group Al Qaeda in Iraq as well as the Mahdi Army, a Shiite militia.
The U.S. military denied involvement in the operation.
What fascinates me is that everybody is pointing fingers at everybody else... Maliki seems to deny it by ordering an investigation, the Interior Ministry denies it, the Iraqi Army is denying it, along with MNF-I... WTF?
A spokesman for the Iraqi Diyala Operations Center told McClatchy the raiding party was a "special unit" of the Iraqi Army, which works closely with U.S. forces. Diyala governor Raad Rashid told McClatchy the troops wore U.S. fatigues and carried U.S.-issued equipment.
"They were wearing khaki. Their weapons were American. The Humvees they used looked American," said a surviving secretary, Abbas Adnan, who was in the government compound when it was raided. "They didn't have any ranks on their shoulders. They didn't talk."
An officer in the Iraqi Diyala Operations Room said the unit "that came to conduct the operation had air cover. This air cover was American helicopters. They shot at the police in protection of their unit." The officer asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
American officials disputed this account. Maj. John Hall and Navy Lt. Patrick Evans, both U.S. military spokesmen, issued identical statements saying the operation was conducted "without the knowledge or assistance of coalition forces."
Now lets take a look at some of the speculation from the Blogs...
Recent events in Diyala provide yet another indication that all is not well inside Iraq’s ruling establishment, especially with regard to its dominant component of Shiite Islamists. Presumably with the support of premier Nuri al-Maliki, Iraqi government forces yesterday raided the premises of Diyala governor Raad Rashid al-Mulla Jawad (linked to ISCI in many reports).[...]
On the surface, Diyala seems like a manifest example of the alliance between Kurds and ISCI that forms the increasingly feeble parliamentary backbone of Nuri al-Maliki’s government: these two forces dominate the local assembly and key positions in the local administration. However, these fiefs now appear to be coming under attack from forces loyal to Maliki himself.[...]
Earlier, in February, Daawa along with Fadila had sidelined the provincial security council where ISCI was strong, prompting protests from ISCI about the police forces “becoming politicised”. And all too often it is forgotten that the top Basra security officials that came under attack by ISCI and the Sayyid al-Shuhada movement shortly before the military operation in Basra in March were in fact Maliki appointees. In light of examples like these, it is extremely difficult to maintain the common notion that ISCI has perfect control of the Iraqi security forces in most part of the country, although in the case of Diyala it remains unclear whether this is the result of an internal split inside ISCI (national versus local leaderships) or tensions between ISCI and Daawa.
Both the crackdown on the Awakenings and Diyala and the arrest of Hussein Zubaydi are, at least in part, the culmination of a conflict between the Diyala police and the Awakenings in Diyala that has been building over the course of the last year. In late 2007/early 2008, ISCI-affiliated Diyala police chief Ghanem al-Qurayshi fired up to 4,000 police officers in Diyala who had ties to the Awakenings (and who complained of torture while under custody) and replaced them with ISCI loyalists. In response, the Awakenings threatened to turn back to AQI and reportedly began assassinating police officers. All this resulted in public demonstrations and clashes in February 2008. This entire episode was well documented in the media.[...] Qurayshi’s main rival in Diyala is Hussein al-Zubaydi, the head of the security committee on the DPC, and member of the IIP, and the target of the recent raid. Earlier this year, Zubaydi accused Qurayshi of trying to assassinate him. As the Awakenings in Diyala have faced intense persecution from Qurayshi and the police, they have turned to Zubaydi for support.[...] If Qurayshi is so tightly connected to ISCI, why did the ISCI/Da’wa-dominated DPC and Tamimi vote to fire him and, indeed, never vote to confirm him in the first place? I don’t know. My best guess is that all politics is indeed local and that the standard political categories don’t apply here.[...] Maybe ISCI-affiliated provincial council members don’t take marching orders from Hakim, which would further explain the need for ISCI/Da’wa at the national level to keep Qurayshi in Diyala to keep an eye on things and fight the Awakenings. I’ve certainly met a couple of nahiya- and qada-level politicians that had sort of “chosen” ISCI as a horse to ride, but, for them, this affiliation did not translate into a strong institutional connection with the party.
Now, I would like to posit another angle too, if you remember the President of Diyala University was raided too by the same forces in another op, as Roads to Iraq reported a few days ago, Maliki had set up his own special militia headed by the rabid Minister of Education that gunned down the students as I pointed out in this post. It could be Maliki/Minister al-Khuza'i's personal operation... What baffles me is why did they have US air support without the local Ops Center knowledge...?
The Iraqi general grabbed the hull of America's No. 1 battle tank and gave it a shake.
"It's very hot," said Gen. Mohan al-Furayji, the Iraqi defense minister's top military adviser. "I'm afraid my soldiers won't be able to operate behind these tanks."
His concerns threatened to derail an arms deal worth as much $2.16 billion. That alarmed Brig. Gen. Charles Luckey, who, on this sweltering day in the desert, was a salesman of sorts.
You could even say he is the U.S. military's senior used-tank salesman. Luckey is the U.S. officer in charge of foreign military sales to Iraq. It's his job to move the merchandise.
"For as little as $300 you can get a blast deflector to deal with the heat," Luckey said.
"I might even throw them in for free for you," he added, sweetening the deal.
I have two serious reservations with the the impending arms deal; the first, is that those Iraqi billions could be better spent on tangible civil projects, and, the second centers on who would actually control those tanks and hellfire missile equipped helicopters...?
• 140 M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks upgraded to the M1A1M configuration
• 6 C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft
• 160 M1117 Guardian armored security vehicles
• 24 helicopters (either Bell Armed 407 or Boeing AH-6 Little Bird), with AGM-114M Hellfire missiles and launchers
• 392 light armored vehicles
• 26 M72 light anti-tank weapons
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers support for building facilities for Iraqi Security Forces
The DSCA claims it's necessary “to improve the security of a friendly country” and “will not affect the basic military balance in the region.”
To be frank, I'm not overly concerned about the military balance in the region, per se, I'm concerned about the military balance in Iraq proper...
I could just imagine Maliki sending a column of Abrams into Kirkuk to kowtow Barzani or Talabani... Or a few hellfires launched at Sahwa members in Ramadi or Sadrists in Sadr City...! In essence, you don't put out a fire by pouring gasoline on it...!
The monies would be better spent on rebuilding the electrical power grid or water plants, both of which are in dire straits. Heck, even the proposed 5 star hotel in the Green Zone would be more beneficial...
Another concern that I have is accountability of that hardware... As the GAO has already pointed out last July...
Thus, DOD and MNF-I cannot fully
account for about 110,000 AK-47 rifles, 80,000 pistols, 135,000 items
of body armor, and 115,000 helmets reported as issued to Iraqi forces
as of September 22, 2005. Our analysis of the MNSTC-I property book
records found that DOD and MNF-I cannot fully account for at least
190,000 weapons reported as issued to Iraqi forces as of September 22,
2005.
That is only but a snippet of the report... Granted a tank and a aircraft are harder to lose track of, but...
The U.S. Defense Department has issued tighter rules for security contractors in Iraq aimed at reducing or preventing needless civilian deaths.
The regulations were issued last month as the U.S. and Iraqi governments were negotiating a new status of forces agreement, The Wall Street Journal reported. One of the Iraqi government's key demands is an end to immunity from prosecution there for contractors.
"A mindset shift must occur in which armed contractors view every contact with Iraqi civilians as friendly until actions clearly prove otherwise," the rules state.
Last September, contractors working for Blackwater Worldwide allegedly shot 17 civilians in a confrontation in Nisoor Square in Baghdad. Six contractors have reportedly been sent target letters warning them that they are under investigation by the Justice Department.
The company continues to maintain that the shootings were provoked, CNN reported.
"Since the September 16, 2007 incident, we have said that, based on statements of company personnel who were directly involved, we believe those involved acted appropriately," Anne Tyrrell, a Blackwater spokeswoman, said.
A 'mindset shift' needs to occur...? That's the extent of it? WTF is that?
What a crock! I'm sure the Iraqis feel better with that stern warning...!
Listening to McBush at today's VFW meeting in Florida and hearing him say time after time that the Surge was a smashing success nauseates me to the point that I need to refute his bile...
First, here's the 18 benchmarks the Iraq Survey Group presented to Congress and was enacted as the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007 (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate) [H.R.2206.ENR]....
(A) The United States strategy in Iraq, hereafter, shall be conditioned on the Iraqi government meeting benchmarks, as told to members of Congress by the President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and reflected in the Iraqi Government's commitments to the United States, and to the international community, including:
(i) Forming a Constitutional Review Committee and then completing the constitutional review.
(ii) Enacting and implementing legislation on de-Baathification.
(iii) Enacting and implementing legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources of the people of Iraq without regard to the sect or ethnicity of recipients, and enacting and implementing legislation to ensure that the energy resources of Iraq benefit Sunni Arabs, Shia Arabs, Kurds, and other Iraqi citizens in an equitable manner.
(iv) Enacting and implementing legislation on procedures to form semi-autonomous regions.
(v) Enacting and implementing legislation establishing an Independent High Electoral Commission, provincial elections law, provincial council authorities, and a date for provincial elections.
(vi) Enacting and implementing legislation addressing amnesty.
(vii) Enacting and implementing legislation establishing a strong militia disarmament program to ensure that such security forces are accountable only to the central government and loyal to the Constitution of Iraq.
(viii) Establishing supporting political, media, economic, and services committees in support of the Baghdad Security Plan.
(ix) Providing three trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad operations.
(x) Providing Iraqi commanders with all authorities to execute this plan and to make tactical and operational decisions, in consultation with U.S commanders, without political intervention, to include the authority to pursue all extremists, including Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias.
(xi) Ensuring that the Iraqi Security Forces are providing even handed enforcement of the law.
(xii) Ensuring that, according to President Bush, Prime Minister Maliki said `the Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation'.
(xiii) Reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq and eliminating militia control of local security.
(xiv) Establishing all of the planned joint security stations in neighborhoods across Baghdad.
(xv) Increasing the number of Iraqi security forces units capable of operating independently.
(xvi) Ensuring that the rights of minority political parties in the Iraqi legislature are protected.
(xvii) Allocating and spending $10 billion in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis.
(xviii) Ensuring that Iraq's political authorities are not undermining or making false accusations against members of the Iraqi Security Forces.
Now, here's a synopsis of the Surge by many of the same individuals that made up the ISG...
Advocates of the 2007 surge of U.S. troops into Iraq argued that the infusion would provide the much-needed political space for Iraq’s leaders to produce legislation and accommodation that would lead the nation towards meaningful reconciliation. Yet, throughout the second half of 2007, even as the rate of Iraqi civilian casualties dropped precipitously, little progress, either in the form of national legislation or political compromise, was perceptible. In fact, in the year leading up to February 13, 2008 only one piece of "benchmark" legislation was enacted into law—the Law on Accountability and Justice (De-Ba’athification), which though hoped would reform the current De-Ba’athification regime—one of the most divisive institutions in post-Saddam Iraq—instead "essentially preserved the previous De-Ba’athification system," and in any event has so far done little to promote political progress or reconciliation. During this same period, the Constitutional Review Committee, despite multiple extensions, failed to deliver a final set of recommendations to Parliament. The hydrocarbon and revenue sharing laws never even made it to the parliamentary floor. And the Article 140 deadline for a referendum on the status of Kirkuk (and other disputed territories) came and went with neither a referendum nor any meaningful progress towards a political solution. At the beginning of 2008, one could have reasonably wondered whether the surge, despite its successes, would in the end amount to little more than another squandered opportunity—that Iraqi leaders would fail to seize the moment and produce anything of meaning for the Iraqi people.
Even the GAO agreed with the missed opportunities...
The New Way Forward responded to failures in prior strategies that prematurely transferred security responsibilities to Iraqi forces or belatedly responded to growing sectarian violence. Overall violence, as measured by enemy-initiated attacks, fell about 70 percent in Iraq, from about 180 attacks per day in June 2007 to about 50 attacks per day in February 2008. Security gains have largely resulted from (1) the increase in U.S. combat forces, (2) the creation of nongovernmental security forces such as Sons of Iraq, and (3) the Mahdi Army's declaration of a cease fire. Average daily attacks were at higher levels in March and April before declining in May 2008. The security environment remains volatile and dangerous. The number of trained Iraqi forces has increased from 323,000 in January 2007 to 478,000 in May 2008; many units are leading counterinsurgency operations. However, the Department of Defense reported in March 2008 that the number of Iraqi units capable of performing operations without U.S. assistance has remained at about 10 percent. Several factors have complicated the development of capable security forces, including the lack of a single unified force, sectarian and militia influences, and continued dependence on U.S. and coalition forces. The Iraqi government has enacted key legislation to return some Ba'athists to government, give amnesty to detained Iraqis, and define provincial powers. However, it has not yet enacted other important legislation for sharing oil resources or holding provincial elections. Efforts to complete the constitutional review have also stalled. A goal of The New Way Forward was to facilitate the Iraqis' efforts to enact all key legislation by the end of 2007. Between 2005 and 2007, Iraq spent only 24 percent of the $27 billion it budgeted for its own reconstruction efforts. More specifically, Iraq's central ministries, responsible for security and essential services, spent only 11 percent of their capital investment budgets in 2007--down from similarly low rates of 14 and 13 percent in the 2 prior years. Violence and sectarian strife, shortage of skilled labor, and weak procurement and budgeting systems have hampered Iraq's efforts to spend its capital budgets. Although oil production has improved for short periods, the May 2008 production level of about 2.5 million barrels per day (mbpd) was below the U.S. goal of 3 mbpd. The daily supply of electricity met only about half of demand in early May 2008. Conversely, State reports that U.S. goals for Iraq's water sector are close to being reached. The unstable security environment, corruption, and lack of technical capacity have contributed to the shortfalls. The Departments disagreed with our recommendation, stating that The New Way Forward strategy remains valid but the strategy shall be reviewed and refined as necessary. We reaffirm the need for an updated strategy given the important changes that have occurred in Iraq since January 2007. An updated strategy should build on recent gains, address unmet goals and objectives and articulate the U.S. strategy beyond July 2008.
The Shiite-led government is cracking down on U.S.-backed Sunni Arab fighters in one of Iraq’s most turbulent regions, arresting some leaders, disarming dozens of men and banning them from manning checkpoints except alongside official security forces.[...]
Mullah Shihab al-Safi, commander of Sunni fighters in Diyala, told The Associated Press that many senior leaders of his group had been detained and fighters evicted from their offices. He gave no figures.
Another senior commander said security forces evicted his men from all but seven of some 100 offices in Diyala. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared arrest.
The U.S. military confirmed the Diyala actions but gave few details. Fighters were only pushed out of buildings they did not own, a military spokesman, Capt. Matt Rodano, said.[...]
Government officials would not comment on specific claims about the push in Diyala. But aides close to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, said the government was not willing to tolerate the existence of armed groups with “blood on their hands.”
“The continuation of the Awakening Councils as they are now is unacceptable,” said Ali al-Adeeb, a close al-Maliki aide and a senior member of his Dawa Party.
A top Iraqi security official with access to classified information said authorities were especially suspicious of the Diyala groups because many of their estimated 14,000 fighters had been members of al-Qaida in Iraq.
Don't you feel the love between Maliki and the Sunni...?
Since, McBush considers Betrayus his hero, let's take a look at how he testified to Congress as to what victory in Iraq would look like...
WEXLER: Please tell us, General, what is winning?
PETRAEUS: Well, first of all -- first of all, Congress, let me tell you that what we are fighting for is national interest. It is interest that, as I stated, have to do with Al Qaida, a sworn enemy of the United States and the free world; it has to do with the possible spread of sectarian conflict in Iraq, conflict that had engulfed that country and had it on the bring of civil war; it has to do with region stability of a region that is of critical importance to the global economy; and it has to do with, certainly, the influence of Iran, another, obviously, very important element in that region.
In terms of what it is that we are trying to achieve, I think, simply, it is a country that is at piece with itself and its neighbors. It is a country that can defend itself, that has a government that is reasonably representative and broadly responsive to its citizens, and a country that is involved in, engaged in, again, the global economy. Ambassador Crocker and I, for what it's worth, have typically seen ourselves as minimalists. We're not after the Holy Grail in Iraq, we're not after Jeffersonian democracy; we're after conditions that would allow our soldiers to disengage, and that is, in fact, what we are doing as we achieve progress, as we have with the surge, and that is what is indeed allowing us to withdraw the surge forces -- again, well over one-quarter of our ground combat power, five of 20 brigade combat teams, plus two Marine battalions and the Marine Expeditionary Unit by the end of July.
Ambassador Crocker and I, for what it's worth, have typically seen ourselves as minimalists. We're not after the Holy Grail in Iraq, we're not after Jeffersonian democracy; we're after conditions that would allow our soldiers to disengage, and that is, in fact, what we are doing as we achieve progress, as we have with the surge, and that is what is indeed allowing us to withdraw the surge forces -- again, well over one-quarter of our ground combat power, five of 20 brigade combat teams, plus two Marine battalions and the Marine Expeditionary Unit by the end of July.
I love the frankness, Betrayus! Yeppers, McInsane, the Surge was a resounding success! May you wear those laurels with pride...!
Shrub is as clueless as always...! Several articles I found today seem to highlight the hypocrisy and lame duck status he has mired himself and the US in...
So you have the colossal audacity, Mr. Bush, to “warn” Russia to pull back? As the wanton, perverse war criminal under whose watch the world saw the crime known as “shock and awe” committed, I’d say you were well out of your mind to suggest that Russia should pull back.
What’s a little shock and awe among inferior people we want to rob and destroy, eh?
What do human beings need an infrastructure for?
Why do they need clean water? Why do they need electricity?
What’s a little torture?
What’s a little regime change? Don’t recall when that was a goal of yours?
What’s a little deviant, perverted sexual experimentation and humiliation?
What’s a few secret detention camps?
What’s wrong with destroying an environment for 4 billion years and generations after generations of people? After all, they’re just rag heads, aren’t they Mr. Bush?
Perhaps when Russia even begins to match your tremendous feats of glory can you speak about pulling back you fool of the worst kind.
You can also tell your number two man to shut up. Cheney said "Russian aggression must not go unanswered, and that its continuation would have serious consequences for its relations with the United States."
So how do you plan to answer this erroneously termed “aggression”? He says this will “worsen” relations with the United States? Buddy, relations with the United States could hardly be any worse than they are now.
That's calling a spade a spade, IMHO!
It seems that even Maliki is merely waiting out this Maladministration's ministrations on the SOFA negotiations...
Iraq not bound by timeline on long-term agreement with U.S--spokesman
Iraqi government spokesman on Sunday his country is not bound by a timeline to sign the long-term security agreement with the U.S.
Speaking at a press conference in Baghdad, Ali al-Dabagh, spokesman for the Iraqi government, said “ongoing negotiations with the U.S looked for a mandate for its troops in Iraq in light of potential threats they might face and their relations to the rights of Iraqi individuals”.
U.S. and Iraqi negotiators have been working in fits and starts on a formal Status of Forces Agreement to provide a legal basis for U.S. troops to remain when an U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year. The Iraqi official reiterated Iraq “is not bound by a timeline to sign the agreement until the coming of next U.S president”.
*ouch* That has to hurt... Poor Dick is getting the shaft too...
The spokesman referred that “six members of the U.S security company Blackwater were flown to Washington to stand for trial on charges of killing 17 Iraqi civilians at al-Nisoor square last September”.
The killing of Iraqi civilians by U.S security company at al-Nisoor square last September hardened Iraqi politicians stance on the legal immunity of these companies in Iraq.
Iraqi politician reiterated they would not budge on vetoing the immunity of security companies in Iraq in the deal, while no U.S official commented on this issue”.
I'm sure Tricky Dick is not happy with his private armies being held accountable...!
January 20th, 2009 still seems to be an eternity away...!
Btw, I've just added pay-pal, please help out a poor starving (literally!) Blogger...! Any amount is greatly appreciated!!!
"We have juveniles from 14 to 18. ... They're IED makers. They are dangerous people."[...]
"How old are you?" he is asked.
"Nine years old."[...]
"These juveniles are treated very well," insists the soldier. "We invite their parents to come and visit with them. They actually have movie nights. ... We have looked through every one of these files. These juveniles are dangerous."
Another memorable quip from the Iraqi Doctor that led the procession:
"What do you expect? We're an occupied country with a puppet government..."
Speaks volumes don't you think?
In other Iraq related articles, Gareth Porter wrote...
U.S. Officials Admit Worry over a ‘Difficult’ al-Maliki
U.S. officials privately admit being concerned that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki has become "overconfident" about his government’s ability to manage without U.S. combat troops, according to an Iraq analyst who just returned from a trip to Iraq arranged by U.S. commander General David Petraeus.
Colin Kahl, a fellow at the Centre for a New American Security (CNAS) -- which has supported a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq -- told the press this week that there was "a certain degree of grudging respect for al- Maliki" among officials with whom we met, "but more often concern about his emerging overconfidence which is making it difficult to interact with him."
That assessment contrasts with statements of George W. Bush administration officials implying that al-Maliki’s public demands for a timetable for U.S. military withdrawal are merely negotiating ploys or political grandstanding.
Ironically, as much as I despise al Maliki, I do have to defend him against the typical misconception that he's demanding a timetable recently only for political purposes... Many fail to realize that Maliki has advocated for a timetable almost since assuming the mantle of Prez as evidenced by this 2006 WaPo OpEd penned by his National Security Adviser...
The Way Out of Iraq: A Road Map
By Mowaffak al-Rubaie
Tuesday, June 20, 2006; Page A17
There has been much talk about a withdrawal of U.S. and coalition troops from Iraq, but no defined timeline has yet been set. There is, however, an unofficial "road map" to foreign troop reductions that will eventually lead to total withdrawal of U.S. troops. This road map is based not just on a series of dates but, more important, on the achievement of set objectives for restoring security in Iraq.[...]
All the governors have been notified and briefed on the end objective. The current prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, has approved the plan, as have the coalition forces, and assessments of each province have already been done
Now, getting back to Porter's article, I need to dispel another myth that keeps recurring...
Even more important, however, Al-Maliki’s power position has also been bolstered by the decisions by nationalist Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr not to launch a concerted military resistance to U.S. and Iraqi government campaigns to weaken his Mahdi Army in 2007 and then to give up his political-military power positions in Basra, Sadr City and Amarah in 2008 without having been militarily defeated.
Petraeus and the U.S. military command in Iraq have asserted that al-Sadr’s decisions reflected the fact that the Mahdi Army had been weakened by U.S. military pressures. However, the broader set of developments over the past year suggests that the primary reason for Sadr’s willingness to give up military resistance was a strategic understanding with Iran to shift to political and diplomatic resistance to the U.S. military presence.
High officials in the al-Maliki regime asserted repeatedly last fall that it was Iran’s intervention with al-Sadr that brought about the unilateral ceasefire of Aug. 27, 2007. Sadr’s decisions to give up military control of Basra and Sadr City before his forces were defeated were taken in the context of Iranian mediation between al-Sadr and the al-Maliki regime.
Iran’s strategic relationship with al-Sadr accomplished what the U.S. military never believed would be possible even in its most optimistic scenario -- the neutralisation of the most potent political-military threat to the regime’s stability. The ability of Iran to deliver that benefit to al-Maliki -- as part of a broader shift to an anti-occupation regime policy -- almost certainly strengthened the case that Iran made to al-Maliki for a demand for a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal in the status of forces negotiations.
Al Sadr is diametrically opposed to Iran just as much as he's opposed to our occupation...
As Juan Cole wrote about Porter's interview with Kahl...
Kahl: Iran Tamed Mahdi Army
4. Muqtada al-Sadr agreed to a ceasefire last September and is turning his Mahdi Army into a civilian social-work force under strong Iranian pressure. The Iranians seem to be convinced that the Mahdi Army was becoming a pretext for the US to stay in Iraq (and of course the Bushies were blaming Iran for everything Muqtada did). (Kahl did not note, but I want to, that Iran is mainly allied with Abdul Aziz al-Hakim and his Badr corps paramilitary, which has become the backbone of al-Maliki's security forces; Iran thus has multiple reasons for trying to get rid of the Mahdi Army as a military force).
Question: Is there a third reason Iran pressured al-Sadr on this matter? Is there a secret, informal agreement between Bush and Khamenei that if the Mahdi Army quietens down, the US will talk to Iran, will refrain from bombing the nuclear facilities at Natanz, and will forestall an Israeli attack, as well? Just speculation on my part-- I'm not asserting, just wondering.
Juan Cole also pointed out another frightening scenario...
2. Al-Maliki is not only refusing to incorporate the Sunni Arab Awakening Councils or "Sons of Iraq" into the Iraqi security forces, but may actually be planning to make war on them. These are Sunni Arab militias, many former Salafi or nationalist guerrillas, who have agreed to take a salary from the US and to fight the Qutbist vigilantes ('al-Qaeda in Iraq'):
' Kahl said in the briefing that, of the 103,000 Sunnis belonging to those militias, the Iraqi government had promised to take into the security forces only about 16,000. But in fact, it has approved only 600 applicants thus far, according to Kahl, and most of those have turned out to be Shi’a rather than Sunni militiamen.'
[I've also been told by knowledgeable Iraqi Shiites that the Awakening Councils are the biggest threat Baghdad faces and that when the Americans are weaker in Iraqi it will be necessary to "take care of them.")
Several articles today highlight the growing threat of the federalists' desire to splinter Iraq into three super provinces, loosely based on a Kurdish North, a Shiite South/Center and a Sunni West. This is not a new concept and was a central thesis for Shrub and Darth's grand scheme for occupation, as evidenced by this early CPA map. The CPA used the misnomer of South Central for the Sunni regions of Al Anbar and An Najaf. But, you can discern the basic intent...
As I've mentioned in numerous prior posts the Powers That Be (PTB) are behind the 'divide and conquer' mentality. To recap, I'll cite Reidar Vissar again...
Firstly, to a considerable extent, this is a raw battle of power and shares of the pie, as Sam Parker of the United States Institute of Peace pointed out when he coined the dichotomy “the Powers That Aren’t” (PTA, the Sadrists, Fadila, Iraqiyya, most Sunni groups) and “the Powers That Be” (PTB, the Kurds, ISCI, Daawa and the IIP) to describe the struggle between the two sides... ...Secondly, to some extent this is also about ideology, with centrists versus ethno-federalists constituting the principal cleavage. The centrists are sceptical to any weakening Baghdad’s power and to any extension of the federalism principle south of Kurdistan. Above all, they have misgivings against an ethno-sectarian implementation of federalism that would partition Iraq into three statelets – Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite. The ethno-federalists, on the other hand, favor precisely this kind of Balkans approach to Iraq: they want a free hand for the Kurds in Kirkuk, in exchange for support for Shiite sectarian supremacy in the rest of Iraq – either through Shiite dominance in Baghdad, or through the establishment of a Shiite sectarian region south of Baghdad.[...]
The two dichotomies are not one hundred per cent overlapping. While most of the Powers That Be are also ethno-federalists, some of them aren’t – most importantly, this includes prime minister Nuri al-Maliki himself. And it is precisely ideology that is the great weakness of the PTB, as the Kirkuk issue amply demonstrates. In a perfect world, the PTB would have been able to hold on to their positions of power, successfully excluding everyone else simply by exploiting their leverage at the centre of government in one of the world’s most important oil-producing nations. They would have divvied up the oil income, and ISCI and Maliki would have gladly and effortlessly ceded the disputed city of Kirkuk to the Kurds. Powers That Be are primarily concerned with grabbing power and holding on to it; they are less focused on such things as ideological coherence.
Several articles pointed out the deepening crisis in Kirkuk...
Officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government visited Kirkuk to meet with various leaders over the status of the disputed Iraqi city.
Kurdish President Massoud Barzani and Vice President Kosrat Rasul Ali visited the city to call for dialogue among the various ethnic groups there, the Kurdish Globe reported Thursday.
"We came to Kirkuk in an attempt to exceed the crisis and to outdo the fears and suspicions that Kurds are trying to impose their dominance over the province, because the city must be for peaceful and brotherly living among all ethnicities," Barzani said.[...]
Barzani said the annexation of Kirkuk would not mean the city would no longer be considered part of greater Iraq. Tahsin Kahya, a Turkomen politician disputing the Kurdish position, said the visit to Kirkuk was "too late" to change perceptions on the matter.
Not only too late, but, too little... As the second article highlights...
Kirkuk dispute fuels ethnic tensions in Iraq
The fate of Kirkuk, where an estimated 850,000 Kurds, Turkomen and Arabs uneasily coexist, is a litmus test for the ability of Iraq's ethnic and sectarian leaders to compromise on critical issues. At stake is the country's ability to preserve its recent decline in violence with genuine national reconciliation.
"Kirkuk is a test case for a stable Iraq," Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Friday. "If Kirkuk remains stable, Iraq will become more stable. If Kirkuk blows up, Iraq might fracture along ethnic and sectarian lines."[...]
"The crisis is serious, because the Kurds can hold up any legislation they don't like, such as the electoral law," said Joost Hiltermann, Middle East director of the International Crisis Group. "It illustrates the importance of Kirkuk as an unresolved issue in undermining political progress in Iraq."[...]
Turkomen try not to look at Kurdish police, who patrol the city in trucks with heavy machine guns. Kurds are in full control of not only the city police force, but also municipal offices and the provincial council.[...]
Turkomen and Sunni Arabs want guarantees to protect their position in Kirkuk and insist on equal distribution of seats in the 41-member provincial council in Tamim. Christian Assyrians would get 4 percent of the seats.
Ezved Rashid Salihi, the imam of the Turkoman mosque of Haci Osman in the Musalla neighborhood, accuses the Kurds of carrying out a policy of assimilation that threatens the Turkomen's future as a community.
"They have changed the Turkish name of the Delibas mosque into Dilbas in Kurdish," he said.
Iraq's 2005 constitution says the Turkoman language is official in areas where it is spoken by "a density of population."
But Sermet Salihli, who works at the Turkoman television station Turkmeneli, complains that there are no Turkish signs at government offices in the city.
The conflict has the potential to extend beyond Iraq.
Turkey, Iran and Syria have long feared that Kurdish rule of Kirkuk would encourage separatist sentiment within their Kurdish minorities.
Earlier this year, Turkey sent troops to fight Kurdish rebels waging attacks against Turkey from bases in northern Iraq.
And Turkey's next military chief, Gen. Ilker Basbug, has warned of a civil war if Iraqi Kurds seize control of Kirkuk's oil.
It's all about the oil and who controls it... Therein lies the reason for this nonsense...
Basra group reported starting one-governate federal region campaign
...The proponents of the scheme talk about the advantages of being able to provide basic services to the citizenry (something that is not the case now, they say), establish equitable methods for the distribution of wealth, and generally end the political and economic marginalization of Basra under the central Baghdad government. The governor, in his remarks to Iraqalaan said it is true there will be complications and no doubt some failures along the way, but in the long run status as a federal region is the best alternative for the governate.
Interesting that it only contains Basra and not Dhi Qar, Maysan and Al Muthanna as envisioned by Hakim and his ISCI party.
Malaf Press report explains that the United Iraqi Alliance is in real paranoia right now of losing its influence on provincial councils. Iraqalaan told us few days ago that Al-Fadhila already modified UIA’s “Iraq South Region” into Basra federal region.
Probably the military operations in Basra succeeded to neutralize Mahdi Army, but it failed to do the same with the popular Al-Fadhila Party in the province, which explains how Al-Fadhila managed to setup a “federation conference” exactly after the end of the military operations using the sinking UIA in the southern provinces.
Same dispute but another provinces and another “players”. Reported by Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Islamic Party [led by Hashimi] representative Omar Abdul Al-Satar accused the United Iraqi Alliance with starting borders disputes between Anbar prov. and Karbala prov. on Al-Nukhayb area [which is in the middle of the desert contains 12 houses and one police checkpoint to control the borders between the two provinces] saying:
There are attempts by UIA to declare “Al-Nukhayb” as “disputed-area”, and introduce it in article 140 [disputed-territories, with Kirkuk]. Why they are doing this? Is there something hidden in this issue.
Al-Ghad newspaper revealed that an American report about the existence of 200 million barrel of oil in Nukhayb fueled the whole tension between Karbala and Anbar.
There are some signs indicate that the Americans working on the same line to divide the country under the title “federation”. The silence on Kirkuk!… inviting Barzani for secret talks!…etc.
Do the Supreme Council and Dawa Party led by al-Maliki succeed to control the provincial councils in the south, cooperating with the American to fulfill the project?
Now, apparently the PTB's will try by hook or crook to consolidate their power with this disturbing report...
Iraqi elections official fears fair vote in jeopardy
Iraqi security forces loyal to the Shiite-led government are raiding voter registration centers and taking other steps to discourage participation in upcoming elections, says the head of Iraq's voting regulatory agency.[...]
INTIMIDATION: Misconduct seen at Baghdad voting centers
A drive to register new voters is slated to end next week. However, only about 1 million people had registered as of Wednesday, a low turnout due partly to voter intimidation, according to Iraq's High Elections Commission.
"There are people who don't want these elections and the security forces are collaborating with these people in some places," said Faraj al-Haydari, the commission's chairman.
Opposition politicians such as Ali Hatem, a leader of a group of former insurgents known as the Sunni Awakening, accuse ruling parties of trying to sabotage the elections because they fear losing power.
Among recent incidents:
•Iraqi Army troops raided a registration center in the Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City and demanded a list of names and addresses of voters, al-Haydari said.
The area is the heart of support for anti-government Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The incident was confirmed by Iraqi Gen. Aiden Qader, the ministry of interior official responsible for election security.
Similar tactics have repeatedly occurred at another registration center in the Sunni-dominated city of Mada'in east of Baghdad, according to Mohammad al-Qinani, president of the Ayn Election Monitoring Network. His non-profit organization monitors 152 registration centers around the country.
•Iraqi troops have either removed, or allowed others to destroy, a large percentage of the 2 million posters distributed nationwide to publicize the registration effort, al-Haydari said.
"We put up posters next to (security) checkpoints and the next day they're gone," he said. "The people don't know that they're supposed to register." Col. Jerry O'Hara, a U.S. military spokesman, said forces were aware of fewer than five incidents at 565 registration centers since they opened July 15.
"We are confident that we will have successful elections and we are confident in the Iraqi security forces' ability to secure these elections," he said.
That is not a positive development! It is tragic that no viable political progress has been seen from the 'Surge'... The primary purpose of the surge...
I swear every time McInsane opens his mouth he inserts his foot...! In that clip above McInsane said: "In the 21st Century, Nations don't invade other Nations...!" Really? What did we do in 2003? Teh stupid... It burns...
Q: If the Iraqi government were to say, if you were president, ‘we want a timetable for troops being removed,’ would you agree to that?
McCAIN: I’ve been there too many times. I’ve met too many times with him. And I know what they want. They want it based on conditions. And of course they’d like to have us out. That’s what happens when you win wars.
KING: If this would go back, start all over again, would you go into Iraq if you could go back?
MCCAIN: I think the world is better off knowing what I know at the time and the fact that Saddam Hussein was bent on acquiring weapons of mass destruction, $12 billion Oil for Food scandal. American airplanes were being shot at. Sanctions were breaking down. It's clear that he wanted to go back and acquire weapons of mass destruction and use them. I don't think there is any doubt. I think we did the right thing. I think that it was a colossal intelligence failure on the part of the United States and every other county as to whether he had them or not. But again, I would remind you, I said we would have an easy victory. We did.
Here's some quotes on his support for Shrub and the Iraqi fiasco...
“I think that Blix’s report will be fairly definitive. But Mr. Blix has made a lot of reports over the years, and I think the judgment made by the United States of America will — and the president of the United States — will prevail here.” [NBC, 2/12/03]
“I believe as strongly today as ever, the mission [in Iraq] was necessary, achievable and noble. For his determination to undertake it, and for his unflagging resolve to see it through to a just end, President Bush deserves not only our support, but our admiration.” [GOP Convention, 8/30/04]
“The fact is that I have agreed with President Bush far more than I have disagreed. And on the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I’ve been totally in agreement and support of President Bush.” [Meet the Press, 6/19/05]
MR. GREGORY: Do you, do you have confidence in the president and his national security team to lead the war at this stage?
SEN. McCAIN: I do. I do. I have confidence in the president and I believe that he is well aware of the severity of the situation. [Meet the Press, 8/20/06]
“I’m sticking with the president in this respect [on Iraq]. This is our last chance. The consequences of failure are catastrophic.” [CNN, 2/13/07]
“I am proud of this president’s strategy in Iraq.” [Receiving Bush’s endorsement, 2/13/08]
The AP reports that Sen. John McCain “faulted the Bush administration for misleading Americans into believing the conflict would be “some kind of day at the beach.”
[McCain] said the administration had failed to make clear the challenges facing the military. … McCain said that talk “has contributed enormously to the frustration that Americans feel today because they were led to believe this could be some kind of day at the beach, which many of us fully understood from the beginning would be a very, very difficult undertaking.”
Whew, so which is it McInsane...?
Fortunately, the troops aren't buying his spiel...
US troops, stationed both abroad and in the US, have donated more money to Democrat Barack Obama than to decorated war hero Republican John McCain, a study published Thursday showed.
The study by the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan research group, showed that by the end of June, Obama had received six times more from soldiers stationed abroad than Vietnam war veteran McCain, who comes from a prestigious military family.
Even McCain's former rival for the Republican nomination, Ron Paul, who opposed the Iraq war, had managed to garner more funds.
That last bit about Ron Paul has to hurt particularly hard...!
Ethno-sectarian tensions are heating up in Diyala Province as numerous articles point out today. By most accounts the tensions seem to be fueled by Kurdish actions and/or intransigence. On July 29th, Maliki had launched Operation Bashaer al-Kheir (Promise of Good) centered on Diyala with 50,000 IA regulars and well supported by American forces.
Today, a Ministry of Defense spokesman reported...
The spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Defense (MOD) on Wednesday considered Operation Bashaer al-Kheir (Promise of Good) conducted by Iraqi security forces in Diala province as the toughest missions yet for those forces.
He explained that 50 percent of this operation's first stage's targets have been accomplished, expecting that coming days would witness what he described "IEDs and explosives' battle," that will coincide with the operation's second stage.
"Operations that have been conducted by Iraqi security forces in Diala are the toughest missions yet for these forces throughout the Iraqi cities," Mohammed al-Askari said in a press conference in Baghdad.
"Terrorists perceive Diala as their last battalion (bastion?), as they fled there from other Iraqi cities," he added.
"Security forces accomplished 50 percent of the targets of Operation Bashaer al-Kheir (Promise of Good) conducted in Diala province," he explained.
The mission is half way there, eh? How convenient they (MoD) neglected to mention this interesting development...
Kurdish forces refuse to quit Iraq battlefield province
Kurdish commanders Wednesday refused orders to pull their troops out of Kurdish-populated areas of ethnically divided Diyala province, challenging the authority of Baghdad.
The 4,000 strong brigade will withdraw only when ordered to do so by the president of the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq, Massud Barzani, its commander General Nazel Kirkuki told AFP.
"The commander of Iraqi ground forces, General Ali Ghidan, asked us to withdraw our forces from the north of Diyala province on August 10 but we've received no order from the presidency of autonomous Kurdistan," Kirkuki said.
"We have a brigade deployed in the Saadiya, Qara Tapa and Jalawla districts and we are not budging because so far we've received no orders from the (Kurdish regional) presidency to withdraw."[...]
The province is just one of a number of areas where longstanding Kurdish claims have drawn opposition from their Arab neighbours.
"There are meetings between Kurds and the Ministry of Defence to find a solution to the problem," said top Kurdish official Jaafar al-Sheikh Mustafa, minister for peshmerga affairs.
The refusal to withdraw troops is the latest act of defiance by the Kurdish authorities since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
A lawmaker from the main Sunni bloc on Wednesday said the withdrawal of Kurdish forces from ethnically-mixed areas in Diala would help assert stability in the volatile province.
Kurdish forces are refusing Iraqi Defense Ministry orders to pull out of Kurdish-populated areas of ethnically divided Diala province where they have been deployed for the past two years.
"The withdrawal of Kurdish troops from Khanqeen town would boost trust building among Iraqi denominations and would help reach better a understanding to end current tensions in Iraq," MP Nour al-Din al-Hayali, from the Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF).
Azzaman has a excellent run down of the tense situation...
Despite repeated offensives and presence of tens of thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops, the Province of Diyala still remains a major rebel stronghold in Iraq.
The province of which Baaquba is the capital is a restive territory where Iraqi resistance groups and members of al-Qaeda organization have apparently dug in for a protracted and difficult fight.
The province is predominantly Arab Sunni Muslim. But unlike the once rebel Province of Anbar, it has sizeable communities of other sects and nationalities.
The Kurds have sent in their militias who have for long spread their control over three major districts in the province – Khaniqeen, Jalawla and Hamreen.
There are Arab, Kurdish and Turkmen Shiites in the province, too.
Appointments for senior civil and police and security positions have always led to popular reaction, some of it rather violent.
The recent dismissal of the province’s police chief Ghanim al-Quraishi has led to violent protests in several areas and chaos in provincial administration.
Quraishi was alleged to be sympathetic to former army and police officers many of whom he had rehabilitated in an attempt to contain violence.
But the move angered tribal leaders whom the U.S. has financed and armed to raise their own militias. The chieftains say they are loyal to Quraishi and have refused the order to have him dismissed.[...]
A row over the presence of Kurdish militias or peshmerga is feared to lead to an armed conflict.
Mohammed al-Dayni, an MP representing Baaquba, said the presence of Kurdish militias and Kurdish attempts to add certain districts to their self-rule enclave, were fuelling tension in the province.
“The Kurds have confiscated land and houses and Arab tribes are really upset,” he said.
The government has given the Kurds 24 hours to leave the province.
The government says Kurdish peshmerga have not right to deploy outside the Kurdish autonomous region without prior approval.
The Kurds say their peshmerga are there to protect Kurds from ‘terrorist attacks.”
Apparently, Barazani is attempting to apply pressure on Maliki from all outside powers that hold sway over Maliki...
Fresh on the heels of his visit to Iran, Barazani is headed to Washington to drum up support...
Kurds passed the fire ball of Kirkuk elections to Washington hoping that the US administration would strive thru its political and military influence to influence some parties that others failed to influence.
Provinces Councils Law issue will arrives to the USA where Head of Kurdistan region Massoud Barazani is paying a visit in order to answer a formal invitation. There he will meet President George Bush and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates with whom he would tackle Kirkuk issue, the structure of Iraq army as well as the strategic agreement between USA and Iraq. To that, well informed sources announced that President Jala Talibani who is actually in Washington undergoing an operation, will take part in Barazani talks with US officials regarding sundry sensitive controversial issues for different Iraqi parties.[...]
Former Prime Minister Ibrahim Al Jaafari affirmed that Kirkuk is an Iraqi Province and cannot be taken by a certain party since due to its nature it regroups different components and ethnicities and thus it shall be preserved since it is Iraq’s mosaic. Active political powers uttered surprise regarding the statements of some Kurdish officials regarding sending forces from the middle and the south of Iraq in order to conserve Kirkuk security the fact that they considered that this step as a come back to arabization policy while on the other hand Peshmerga forces are deployed in the city and they do not consider this fact as a part of a plan to make Kirkuk a Kurdish city.
Turkmen MP, member of Unified Iraqi Coalition Mohammad Mahdi Al Bayyati said that the government of Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki is unable to send any military forces from the middle and the south of the country to Kirkuk in the meantime.
I agree with the 'surprised political powers' that the Kurds accusations about any attempts to bring in IA forces from the south as 'arabization' while rejecting the reverse claims that Peshmerga's presence in Diyala, Kirkuk and Ninevah is 'Kurdization' is the height of hypocrisy...! I see that the new target date for Provincial elections is March 2009...
Speaking of timelines, another announcement was made on the MoU...
Iraq's deputy foreign minister on Wednesday said the U.S.-Iraq long term agreement is in its final stages after overcoming a number of controversial issues.
"The negotiations could settle the sticking issues, such as the mandate (of U.S. troops in Iraq)," Mohamed al-Hajj Humood, Iraq's deputy foreign minister, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).
The foreign officials noted "the two sides must draft the agreement in a clear manner."
The proposed agreement calls for the U.S. army to hand over parts of Baghdad's Green Zone — where the U.S. Embassy is located — to the Iraqis by the end of 2008. It would also remove U.S. forces from Iraqi cities by June 30, 2009, according to the two senior Iraqi officials. All U.S. combat troops would leave Iraq by October, 2010, with the remaining support personnel gone "around 2013." The schedule could be amended if both sides agree — a face-saving escape clause that would extend the presence of U.S. forces if security conditions warrant it.
U.S. acceptance — even tentatively — of a specific timeline would represent a dramatic reversal of U.S policy in place since the war began in March, 2003. Both Iraqi and U.S officials agreed that the deal is not final and that a major unresolved issue is the U.S. demand for U.S. soldiers to have immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law.
I'm sure the Private Contractor's immunity is also a major sticking point too...
Sometimes you see something and it just begs the question: WTF? Today I ran into several such articles that elicited that instinctive response. Now, one would think I would be somewhat jaded with my constant perusal of Iraqi news and various other media, but, alas! That is not the case...
Now, the articles that caught my eye weren't particularly horrific rather they'd fall under the 'What were they thinking?' category...
The other day, I was perplexed by this article in Aswat Aliraq...
Kurdistan's president departs Iraq to unknown destination
The president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barazani, on Monday departed the Kurdish territory on a "special trip" that would take few days, heading to an unknown destination, said a release issued by the region's presidency.
"Barazani departed Iraq on a special trip that would take few days," said the release that was received Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).
It neither mentioned Barazani's final destination nor the reasons for the trip.
Now, I wonder where would he take off to...? Why, to Iran, of course...
Ahmadinejad describes Iraq, Iran as natural allies
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran and Iraq are natural allies and that they both benefit from their deep-rooted relations, according to Iran’s Fars news agency. Ahmadinejad made the remarks Monday in a meeting with the visiting Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Negervan Barazani.
"The Iranian president emphasized the importance of the two states' mutual efforts to serve the interests of their nations and called on all Iraqi groups to spare no efforts in thwarting the activities of armed groups inside Iraq,” it added. Barazani, for his part, commended Iran's efforts in establishing security in Iraq and assured that the Iraqi government would not allow Iraq's soil, particularly northern Iraq, to turn into a hub for “terrorist activities” against Iran.
The Iraqi official also called for an expansion in reciprocal relations especially in investment and trade. Barazani reiterated that Iraqi officials are resolute to combat the actions of terrorist groups against Iraq's neighboring states and are ready to cooperate with Iran to curb such acts.
WTF? Iran and Iraq are natural allies? Since when are Arabs and Persians natural allies, or even the Kurds? It seems Barazani is desperate since Iran has signed an agreement with Turkey to prevent any attempt to form a Kurdish independent entity in the region, and there is not a single chance to believe that Tehran will back down from this agreement with Ankara. Have I misinterpreted my history books for the last couple thousand years, or missed the 1980's Iraq-Iran war...? Btw, I'm sure that caught Darth Cheney's attention too...
You remember the main subject of this post, well, apparently he's not satisfied with just gunning down unarmed students...
Reported today on Saudi newspaper al Watan newspaper:
Dawa Party headed by Al-Maliki formed it own secret militia called “Al-Enezi”, which is active in Kahira and Sha’ab neighborhoods [interesting that both neighborhoods are beside Sadr-City].
The new militia is supervised by Higher Education Minister Khudair Alkhozai (who) holds Iranian, Iraqi and Canadian passports.
P.S.
Dawa does not own a Militia [or at least known militia], it was Al-Hakim’s SIIC who did Dawa’a dirty works. recently there are many quarrels and disputes among Dawa and SIIC, it is the time for (their) own militia.
WTF? Why do I seem to recall Nouri Al Maliki's constant pleas for militias to disarm!
Particularly, with this poignant statement; "We can't build a state along with militias." Ya gotta love the hypocrisy!
Now, I would be bereft in my duties by not pointing out this American WTF?...
Vietnam Redux...
It Became Necessary To Destroy The Town To Save It
A U.S. army soldier from Fox Troop, Sabre Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, sets a mud hut on fire in a deserted village on the outskirts of Balad Ruz, in Diyala province, some 75 kilometers ( 46.6 miles) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008. Soldiers from Fox Troop burned down a deserted village in the area, in order to deny safe haven to possible terrorists in their area of operation.
That's certainly the way to 'Win the Hearts and Minds,' eh?
It seems to me that sometimes one event can truly encapsulate what is truly going on in Iraq... This Sunday's 'dedication' of the newly renovated Parliament Building by Al Maliki fills the bill. The building was the original Parliament building that was utilized during Saddam's rule and is located outside of the Green Zone, which was subsequently sacked and looted after his fall and rendered useless. So it was refurbished and rededicated... Or not...
Iraqi newspapers gave prominence in their Monday issues to the new building of the Iraqi Parliament, which some described as a true example of the political independence of the Iraqi legislative institution.
The government-funded al-Sabah newspaper published an article by its editor-in-chief Fallah al-Mashaal in which he hailed the completion of the building works as a significant milestone in the Iraqi political life.
Yesterday, a ceremony was organized to celebrate the completion of the new building of the Iraqi Parliament, scheduled to be situated in Baghdad's downtown area of al-Allawi.
A parliamentary source announced the inauguration of the building with the participation of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and several government officials.
Yeah! A milestone and a symbol of political independence...! But, wait...
Meanwhile, a statement released by the Parliament's media office and received by Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI) said that the ceremonies that launched Baghdad's new parliamentary building were only meant to celebrate its completion.
Two days ago, a parliamentary media source said that the building of the National Council in al-Allawi area will be the new headquarters of the Iraqi Parliament, replacing its old building in the Conference Palace inside Baghdad's fortified Green Zone.[...]
On the same subject, al-Mada newspaper, an independent daily, published an article by Aamer al-Qaysi in which he expressed his hopes that the new Parliament's building will provide plenty of comfort for its members. The author of the article urged those in charge in the new building to establish direct lines of communication with the public and to ensure that a democratic and transparent process is upheld.
Hmmm... Only celebrating the building's completion! Now, what about that issue of comfort...
Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki attended and gave a twenty minute speech about the new democratic Iraq, the continued intent to find and catch terrorists and how reconstruction was the next step for the new Iraq.
As he spoke people fanned themselves with newspapers and notebooks in the 120 degree heat. A typical scene in the suffocating heat of Iraqi summers.
Finally he gave up.
"I can’t talk for a very long time because it’s very hot," he said. "I hope they put in the air conditioning soon."
Leila Fadel continued to point out...
The audience was so small at the televised ceremony that the camera zoomed in on one section of the seating to give the illusion of a full crowd.[...]
After the opening ceremony the parliament sent out a press release to clarify what the celebration signified. The ceremony was to commemorate the basic construction of the building. But it was still not ready for parliament to use as a meeting space.
Small victories. One step at a time.
The NYT points out that not everybody is thrilled about it...
At the dedication of the renovated Parliament building, Mr. Maliki described the move beyond the Green Zone as a sign of success by Iraqi security forces. Lawmakers are scheduled to occupy the building, used by Parliament during the Saddam Hussein era, in early September.
Not everyone feels as confident as Mr. Maliki does.
“Honestly speaking, there is some resentment among the Parliament members about the new change,” Ibrahim Thanoon, a Sunni lawmaker, said in a telephone interview.
“This new location will expose us to assassination by I.E.D.’s or gunfire.”
D'oh! Imagine that...! Gotta love those direct lines of communication and open transparency, eh?
I was perusing the Iraq reports today and I stumbled upon this article and I was stunned! My first thought was why I hadn't heard about it earlier. I looked into the archives of Aswat Aliraq and, lo and behold, I found this pathetic report...
Shooting in Baghdad tests center leaves casualties
Baghdad, Jun 26, (VOI)- A number of students were wounded on Thursday in a shooting that took place in a tests center in northern Baghdad, eyewitnesses said.
"A number of students protested against bad services when Education Minister Khudier al-Khuzaaei paid a visit to their tests center in Sabaa Abkar region in northern Baghdad, the matter that made the ministry's bodyguards to start shooting, wounding five students," Qassem Hassan, a student, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq (VOI).
"The test was cancelled after the intense shooting, which forced the students to leave the tests room," Hassan explained, noting that one of the wounded students is in critical condition. No word was immediately available from the education ministry.
Did ya catch that? Some students bitched about the deplorable conditions so the bodyguards opened fire on them... Of course the education ministry had no comment...
First, the bodyguards didn't initiate the shootings the Education Minister, himself did...
On the 27th of June 2008, the Education minister “ Khudayer al-Khuza'i”of Iraq was touring one of the final examination centers on the campus of the college of Education situated in the “Seba' Abkar” district of Adhamiya city. As the minister entered the center, the students began complaining about the center's very bad conditions: there was no power to run the fans, the temperature was 130 degrees, and there was no water to drink. The students also mentioned to the minster many other problems they were facing which made it very hard for them to take their final exams. Hearing the complaints of the frustrated students, the education minister took out his gun and started shooting real bullets at the students. Simultaneously his body guards started shooting randomly at the students. Scores of innocent Iraqi students were killed and injured in this horrible incident.
The article goes on to describe this despicable tyrant...
His full name is "Khudayer Moses Jaafer al-Khuza'i". His original citizenship was Iranian, and the second one is Canadian. His family there receives welfare payments. In addition to that he has Iraqi citizenship. He is a big member in the al-Da'wa party al- Anzi division militias. He claimed to have a PhD in the Quranic sciences from Qum University in Iran. But when the head of the Iraq's Foreign Study Department, Dr. Khairo, proved that he had no such degree and in fact Minister al-Khuza'i no degree from any country, Dr. Khairo was kidnapped and killed. It was demonstrated later on that this minister didn't even have a primary school certificate having failed the fifth grade of primary school. One of the Iraqis who had lived in the same building with him in London said to me "I was so astonished when I read that he claimed to have a PhD. I knew for sure that he had failed the fifth grade of primary school. I knew that he used to make a living before the invasion by working as a "Rozkhon". A Rozkhon is one who recites sad stories at a funeral to make the funeral attendees cry. The attendees usually tip the Rozkhon with small amounts of money, a quarter or a half a dollar. The word Rozkhon itself is an Iranian word not Iraqi.
Another good thing to know about this minister is that is he is a big leader of the death squads in Iraq. A year ago in 2007, some of the residents in al-Sha'ab city notified the American army about strange whining and crying sounds coming from the al-Husseiniya Mosque, one of the mosques controlled by the al-Da'wa party's al- Anzi division militias led by Minister Khuza'i. When the American army broke into this mosque they found horrible things: places for torture, torture instruments like electric drills, electric cables, big knives, and acid to burn human flesh. The people who gathered there said sadly that the scores of innocents kidnapped and held there were slaughtered just hours before the US army broke into this mosque. Immediately after that the US army went directly to the office of the al-Da'wa party newspaper in the al-Wezeriya district. This place was also controlled by the al-Da'wa party's al- Anzi division militias which are mostly comprised of Iranian Revolutionary guards. Tragically enough they found the same things: torture places, torture instruments and lots of corpses.
Now let me tell you about some of the damage and destruction he inflicted on the Ministry of Education from the time that he took his post there. The first thing he did was to fire most of the good, respectable, qualified employees, especially the director generals and heads of the department and replace them with ex-cons and ignorant people who like him had no scientific degree whatsoever. The only qualification they have has been their loyalty and affiliation with Iran and its leader Ali Khamenei whom Minister al-Khuza'i adores. The second most important thing he did to the Education Ministry was to steal all the money allocated to rebuild and furnish the schools. He put his hands on about two billion dollars and divided it among with few of the ministry personnel who had been appointed by him. The highest one of these was the ministry's inspector general. Minister al-Khuza'i's share of this theft was $500,000,000, which was deposited for him in his account in one of the banks in Amman, Jordan by one of the fictitious contractors who allegedly was awarded no bid contracts for the construction of Iraqi
