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statements</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/muqtada-al-sadr/" rel="tag">Muqtada al-Sadr</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/nuri-al-maliki/" rel="tag">Nuri Al-Maliki</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sadrist-movement/" rel="tag">Sadrist movement</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-of-law-coalition/" rel="tag">State of Law Coalition</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tehran/" rel="tag">Tehran</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <div style="text-align: left; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr"> <p>Controversial Iraqi political and religious leader Moqtada al-Sadr has stated that he comprehensively rejects any Iranian attack on Iraq, even if it targets the "American occupiers". To date, this is the strongest position taken by the firebrand cleric who is the leader of the Sadrist movement and enjoys strong ties with Tehran. </p> <p>Al-Sadr’s surprising comments comes in response to a statement made by Iranian ambassador to Iraq Hassan Danaifar to local Iraqi media. In this statement, Danaifar threatened that Iran would respond against Iraq in the event of the US carrying out an attack on the country from its bases within Iraq. He stressed that "we informed the Iraqi officials that Iran will, of course, respond to any attacks carried out against it from within Iraqi territory." The Iranian ambassador to Iraq also confirmed that "our Iraqi friends have confirmed that they would not allow any country to use its territory to launch at attack on Iran." </p> </p></div> <p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/06/21/iraq-al-sadr-rejects-any-iranian-attack-on-iraq/#more-13557" class="more-link">» أقرأ التفاصيل .. | Read the rest of this entry »</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11984"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/12/23/malikis-new-government-largest-government-in-iraqs-history-expert-aswat-al-iraq/#respond" title="Comment on Maliki’s new government, largest government in Iraq’s history, Expert: : Aswat Al Iraq">No Comments</a></span> Posted on December 23rd, 2010 by Nur Hussein Ghazali</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/12/23/malikis-new-government-largest-government-in-iraqs-history-expert-aswat-al-iraq/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Maliki’s new government, largest government in Iraq’s history, Expert: : Aswat Al Iraq">Maliki’s new government, largest government in Iraq’s history, Expert: : Aswat Al Iraq</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/category/features/" title="View all posts in Features" rel="category tag">Features</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-sadr/" rel="tag">al sadr</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/aswat-al-iraq/" rel="tag">Aswat Al Iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/aswat-al-iraq-features/" rel="tag">Aswat Al Iraq Features</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/deputy-prime-ministers/" rel="tag">deputy prime ministers</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/features/" rel="tag">Features</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/government-formation-of/" rel="tag">Government - formation of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/history-of-iraq/" rel="tag">history of iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ibrahim-al-jaafari/" rel="tag">Ibrahim al-Jaafari</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-parliament/" rel="tag">iraqi parliament</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iyad-allawi/" rel="tag">Iyad Allawi</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/maliki-nouri-al/" rel="tag">Maliki - Nouri al-</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/muqtada-al-sadr/" rel="tag">Muqtada al-Sadr</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/new-cabinet/" rel="tag">new cabinet</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/nouri-al-maliki/" rel="tag">nouri al maliki</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/parliamentary-election/" rel="tag">parliamentary election</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/politics-and-security/" rel="tag">Politics and Security</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-of-law-coalition/" rel="tag">State of Law Coalition</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p> </p> <blockquote><p> The new Iraqi government, led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, that won the trust of the Parliament on Tuesday “is the biggest government, as regards to its number, in the history of the contemporary Iraqi cabinets,” the Iraqi Legal Expert, Tareq Harb said.</p> <p>“For the first time in the history of Iraq, a government is formed with four deputy prime ministers, that were included in Maliki’s 2nd cabinet, along with 42 cabinet ministers,” Harb said.</p> <p>The list of cabinet ministers, presented by Maliki to the Parliament on Tuesday, had comprised 41 candidates, some of who had been assigned on acting basis, whilst included 12 state ministers, compared with Maliki’s previous cabinet that comprised 37 seats.</p> <p>Noteworthy is Maliki’s new cabinet comprises 42 cabinet posts, but he had presented 41 of them to the Parliament’s session on Tuesday, according to source close to the Iraqi Parliament, who did not give the reason for Maliki’s non-presentation of the 42nd candidate.</p> <p>Harb said that “the first government in the history of Iraq in the beginning of the Royalist Regime, led by Prime Minister Abdul-Rahman al-Naqib, in 1920, that comprised 7 cabinet seats only and 12 (formal) state cabinets,” adding that “for the first time in the history of Iraq, a government is formed with 4 deputy prime ministers, in Maliki’s 2nd government, followed by Ibrahim al-Jaafari’s government, formed in April, 2005, with three deputy prime ministers.”</p> <p>“Maliki’s new government had comprised all political components, with the exception of the Kurdish “Change” Bloc that withdrew from the government at the last moments that preceded the formation of the government, whilst it was the first cabinet that included 6 state ministries,” he added.</p> <p>He pointed out that “Maliki’s 2nd cabinet was the 12th Shiite-led cabinet in Iraq’s history, 5 of them during the Royalist Regime – 1920 to 1958, the first led by Prime Minister, Hussein al-Sadr, the second by Saleh Jabur, the third by Abdul-Wahab Marjan, the fourth by Fadhil al-Jamaly, followed by three cabinets in the Republican Regime – 1958 to 2003: the first led by Naji Taleb in 1966, the second by Saadoun Hammadi in 1991, the third by Mohammed al-Zubeidy in 1993.”</p> <p>“But after April 4, 1993, the first Shiite-led cabinet had been led by Iyad Allawi in 2004, then by Ibrahim Jaafari in 2005, followed by Nouri al-Maliki’s first cabinet in 2006 and 2nd cabinet in 2010,” Tareq Harb said.</p> <p>Harb pointed out that “Maliki’s 2nd cabinet had been the cabinet that comprised the smallest number of women, among the cabinets formed after 9/4/2003, which included one woman only, who occupied the post of state minister.”</p> <p>On his part, Member of the State of Law Coalition, led by Nouri al-Maliki, Adnan al-Sarraj told Aswat al-Iraq news agency, said: “The number of ministers in Maliki’s cabinet is very large, comparied to the United States that has 15 ministers only and China – 25 ministers only!”</p> <p>The Iraqi Parliament had granted trust to the government program presented by Prime Minister Maliki, as well as the members of his new cabinet on Tuesday, following a serious dialogue that continued for about 9 months, that followed Iraq’s March 7th nationwide parliamentary elections.</p> <p>Maliki had presented the names of his new cabinet ministers to the Parliament on Tuesday evening, comprising 41 ministers, whilst he kept the posts of Interior, Defense and National Security ministers for himself, on acting basis, assigning several posts on acting basis till the naming of the original ministers.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=139976" class="external" target="_blank">Maliki’s new government, largest government in Iraq’s history, Expert: : Aswat Al Iraq</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11143"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/06/26/asharq-alawsat-dawa-leaders-told-maliki-to-withdraw-candidacy/#respond" title="Comment on Asharq Alawsat: Dawa Leaders Told Maliki To Withdraw Candidacy">No Comments</a></span> Posted on June 26th, 2010 by Khalil Ibn Hussein</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/06/26/asharq-alawsat-dawa-leaders-told-maliki-to-withdraw-candidacy/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Asharq Alawsat: Dawa Leaders Told Maliki To Withdraw Candidacy">Asharq Alawsat: Dawa Leaders Told Maliki To Withdraw Candidacy</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/asharq-al-awsat/" rel="tag">Asharq Al-Awsat</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/asharq-alawsat-newspaper/" rel="tag">asharq alawsat newspaper</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/dawa-party/" rel="tag">Dawa Party</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/dawa-party-vs-sadrists/" rel="tag">Dawa Party vs. Sadrists</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/government-formation-negotiations/" rel="tag">Government formation negotiations</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/haidar-al-abadi/" rel="tag">Haidar al Abadi</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/hassan-shabar/" rel="tag">Hassan Shabar</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/khodair-al-khozai/" rel="tag">Khodair al Khozai</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/maliki-nouri-al/" rel="tag">Maliki - Nouri al-</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/maliki-religious-adviser-to/" rel="tag">Maliki - religious adviser to</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/malikirule-of-law-vs-sadrists/" rel="tag">Maliki/Rule of Law vs. Sadrists</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/national-alliance/" rel="tag">National Alliance</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/national-iraqi-alliance/" rel="tag">National Iraqi Alliance</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/political-coalitions-negotiations/" rel="tag">Political Coalitions - negotiations</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/safa-al-saafi/" rel="tag">Safa al Saafi</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sheikh-abdul-halim-al-zuhairi/" rel="tag">Sheikh Abdul Halim al Zuhairi</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-of-law-coalition/" rel="tag">State of Law Coalition</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <blockquote><p>A well-informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that prominent figures within the Daawa Party have advised the outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, who heads the State of Law coalition and the Daawa Party, that he should withdraw his nomination to head the next government because parties within the National Alliance (which compromises of the State of Law coalition and the National Iraqi Alliance) insist that they will not give him their vote. </p> <p>The source who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity said, “There are reliable reports and information within the Islamic Daawa Party that confirm that both Hassan Shabar, the legal advisor to the Prime Minister and a prominent official from the Islamic Daawa Party, and Sheikh Abdul Halim al Zuhairi, the religious advisor to the Prime Minister who led the negotiations with the [Iraqi] National Alliance headed by Ammar al Hakim, informed al Maliki that other parties inside and outside of the National Alliance will not give him their vote. For that reason he should withdraw from standing for the position of prime minister for a second term.”</p> <p>The source indicated that “those figures also informed the Prime Minister of the necessity of putting forward a compromise candidate in the coming period.” With regards to the extent to which the outgoing Prime Minister accepted this idea the source said, “Al Maliki reached the conclusion that some parties in the National Alliance have reservations about him heading the next government, which prompted him to put forward names [of other people] from the Daawa Party instead of him (Safa al Saafi, Haidar al Abadi and Khodair al Khozai) but the Sadrist current rejected them claiming that they are difficult people to interact with.” “The proposed scenario is now moving towards putting forward a compromise candidate from the Daawa Party and from the State of Law Coalition in particular,” said the source refusing to reveal anymore details. </p> <p>The source mentioned that the Sadrist Current that is considered one of the most important components of the Iraqi National Alliance (44 seats) in parliament still has reservations about al Maliki taking on a second term as Prime Minister, which cast a shadow over the negotiations between the two coalitions that announced their alliance at the beginning of June under the name the “National Alliance”. </p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=21429" class="external" target="_blank">Advisors Tell al Maliki to Withdraw Nomination to Head Next Govt – Source Asharq Alawsat Newspaper (English)</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11074"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/06/17/ghosts-of-the-past-still-lurk-in-iraq/#respond" title="Comment on Ghosts of the Past Still Lurk in Iraq">No Comments</a></span> Posted on June 17th, 2010 by Um Thalit</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/06/17/ghosts-of-the-past-still-lurk-in-iraq/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Ghosts of the Past Still Lurk in Iraq">Ghosts of the Past Still Lurk in Iraq</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/category/analysis-briefings-commentary/" title="View all posts in Analysis Briefings Commentary" rel="category tag">Analysis Briefings Commentary</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/adel-abdul-mahdi/" rel="tag">Adel Abdul Mahdi</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/elections/" rel="tag">Elections</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/middle-east-online/" rel="tag">Middle East Online</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/moqtada-al-sadr/" rel="tag">moqtada al sadr</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/muqtada-al-sadr/" rel="tag">Muqtada al-Sadr</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/national-alliance/" rel="tag">National Alliance</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/nouri-al-maliki/" rel="tag">nouri al maliki</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/premiership/" rel="tag">premiership</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sami-moubayed/" rel="tag">Sami Moubayed</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-of-law-coalition/" rel="tag">State of Law Coalition</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p><b>Al Hakim was visibly angry with Al Maliki’s insistence that no one but he was entitled to the Iraqi premiership. The two men seemed to agree that it was vital to prevent the rise of the secular Allawi, but little else besides, notes Sami Moubayed</b>. </p> <p>When the 38-year old Ammar Al Hakim succeeded his father as head of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC) in August, many thought that he would easily be manipulated and abused by many of his father’s friends and allies, men who were far older and experienced than him.</p> <p>Al Hakim, however, has done a very good job at building bridges both within Iraq and with its neighbours, and has recently visited Damascus, Tehran and Riyadh to market himself as a reliable political heavyweight in Iraqi politics.</p> <p>During the March elections his coalition, the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), put in a solid performance. It did not sweep parliament — as was the case in 2005 — but did enough to be the third-largest bloc, with 70 seats.</p> <p>Al Hakim would have been satisfied with this, knowing that, even with 91 seats, Eyad Allawi did not have a majority and could not form a Cabinet on his own — this would require 163 seats. None of the aspirants could become prime minister without the full backing of Al Hakim and the SIIC.</p> <p>This week, Al Hakim and Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki announced they would merge their two blocs, the INA and Al Maliki’s State of Law coalition, which has 89 seats, into one bloc, giving them a total of 159 seats. The remaining four seats required for a majority are relatively easy to obtain.</p> <p>The writing had been on the wall for weeks, as the two sides openly debated a merger. But only last week, apparently fed up with the prime minister’s arrogance, Al Hakim had snapped: "I speak to the politicians and tell them: Come down from your ivory tower and [do away] with your personal ambitions!" Al Hakim was visibly angry with Al Maliki’s insistence that no one but he was entitled to the Iraqi premiership. The two men seemed to agree that it was vital to prevent the rise of the secular Allawi, but little else besides.</p> <p>Al Hakim does not trust Al Maliki, and nor does his ally, Moqtada Al Sadr. Al Maliki came to power in 2006 thanks to the unwavering support of Abdul Aziz Al Hakim (Ammar’s father) and Al Sadr, but subsequently turned his back on both of them. Al Sadr supported Al Maliki in 2006-2007, legitimising him among grassroots Iraqis, while the prime minister protected him from the government dragnet, allowing his men to bear arms and create a mini-state in the slums of Baghdad.</p> <p>Once firmly in power, however, Al Maliki abandoned Al Sadr, prompting the young cleric to tell La Republica: "Between myself and Abu Israa [Al Maliki] there has never been much feeling. I never trusted him. At our last meeting he first told me: ‘You are the country’s backbone,’ and then he confessed that he was ‘obliged’ to combat us. Obliged, you hear me?"</p> <p>Al Sadr sees Al Maliki as an American stooge who will renege on all promises made to the INA once he is firmly back in power, as he did in 2007. Al Hakim, meanwhile, views the prime minister as a very unreliable ally because of his decision in January 2009 to contest the provincial elections on his own.</p> <p>This, and his decision to run independently again last March, means that Al Maliki will forever be seen as an opportunist in the eyes of his Shiite allies. Al Hakim, however, is obliged to ally with Al Maliki — at the behest of Iran — to ensure the Shiites are not overwhelmed by secular figures such as Allawi or Sunnis.</p> <p>The merger does not necessarily mean that everything is resolved. Unless real pressure is applied on Al Maliki by Tehran, he will refuse to accept a compromise candidate for prime minister — certainly not anyone from the INA. Al Hakim himself has no ambition to become prime minister, much like his father and uncle who were "prime minister makers". . The SIIC has long wanted one of its own to become prime minister, such as Adel Abdul Mahdi.</p> <p><b>Rivalry</b></p> <p>Once this matter is resolved, Al Hakim and Al Sadr need to resolve their differences. For years, Al Sadr had accused Al Hakim’s father of being an Iranian stooge, because he fought alongside the Iranians during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Al Sadr has always boasted that he never fled Iraq — not for a single day during the heyday of the Saddam regime — while the Al Hakim family spent years in Tehran, and were bankrolled and protected by the Iranians.</p> <p>When Al Hakim toyed with the idea of creating an autonomous Shiite district in southern Iraq, similar to the Kurdish one in the north, Al Sadr was the first to challenge the idea, arguing that pan-Arabism rather than pan-Shiitism should prevail, and that Iraq should remain united.</p> <p>Now that Abdul Aziz Al Hakim is gone, the rivalry between the two turbaned young men is stronger than ever. They come from heavyweight families that have competed for leadership of the Shiite community for decades, are both sons of legendary figures, and happen to be only two years apart in terms of age.</p> <p>The longer it takes to find solutions, the more these old rivalries will bubble to the surface, if not between the leaders themselves then between their followers. Al Maliki, Al Hakim and Al Sadr seem to realise that time is not on their side, as Allawi speeds up his PR campaign to promote himself as the only real prime minister.</p> <p>He met with Al Maliki to score points on Saturday, then surprisingly wrote an article for The New York Times, addressing the US public directly. In Iraq, the ghosts of the past have a way of causing very real problems. Unless genuine solutions are hammered out in Baghdad, the Al Hakim-Al Maliki merger will amount to nothing.</p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/opinion/?id=39613" class="external" target="_blank">Ghosts of the Past Still Lurk in Iraq</a> | by Sami Moubayed | Middle East Online</p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11071"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/06/16/major-disputes-within-the-national-alliance/#respond" title="Comment on Major Disputes within the National Alliance">No Comments</a></span> Posted on June 16th, 2010 by Nur Hussein Ghazali</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/06/16/major-disputes-within-the-national-alliance/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Major Disputes within the National Alliance">Major Disputes within the National Alliance</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-iraqiya/" rel="tag">Al-Iraqiya</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/asharq-al-awsat/" rel="tag">Asharq Al-Awsat</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/asharq-alawsat-newspaper/" rel="tag">asharq alawsat newspaper</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/constitutional-party/" rel="tag">Constitutional Party</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/interior-minister/" rel="tag">interior minister</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqiya-list/" rel="tag">Iraqiya list</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/national-alliance/" rel="tag">National Alliance</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-of-law-coalition/" rel="tag">State of Law Coalition</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p> </p> <blockquote><p>The announcement of the "National Alliance" between the State of Law Coalition [SLC] led by outgoing Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and the Iraqi National Alliance [INA] led by Ammar al-Hakim appears to have been a political ploy to form the largest bloc in parliament, as sources inside the alliance say that disagreements are continuing over the government program and who to name as Prime Minster.</p> <p>While the INA is demanding that the government program should be determined before announcing the two coalitions’ candidate, the SLC is insisting on its candidate Al-Maliki before negotiating the joint government program. These details were also confirmed by Muhammad al-Bayyati, a leading member of Badr Organization, one of the INA’s components, who pointed out that the problems in the negotiations have become dilemmas due to the SLC’s insistence on the name of the candidate for the prime minister’s post before reaching an understanding on the government program, which the INA is underlining. He asserted to Asharq Al-Awsat that the negotiations were ongoing but with the INA insisting on presenting and agreeing on the government program and then reaching an understanding on the candidates. </p> <p>The decision to abolish the "committee of wise men" the two coalitions had formed to determine the mechanism for choosing the prime minister is an indication of these problems. Reports say this committee’s function was delegated to the administrative committee which is now operating as subcommittees to choose the mechanism for forming the government, the candidate for prime minister, and the government program. According to Al-Bayyati, the committee of wise men or the administrative committee is not the problem, adding that the mere formation of committees necessarily means there are problems between the negotiating teams.</p> <p>On the other hand, Al-Bayyati has ruled out resorting to the smaller components to complete the numbers of the largest bloc and stressed that the door remains open to all Iraqi coalitions and blocs to form a government of real partnership which the INA had and continues to call for. </p> <p>Haydar al-Abbadi, a leading Al-Dawa Party figure, had asserted in press statements that Al-Tawafuq Front and the Unity of Iraq Coalition had joined the National Alliance but Salim al-Juburi, Al-Tawafuq’s spokesman, stressed that the next two days would probably see a new announcement from the Front that it would not take part in the next government but would be a positive opposition in the Iraqi parliament and take up the role of supervising the government’s action and rectifying the course. He asserted in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat that negotiations were continuing with all the parties but the closest options for the front were to withdraw and remain on the side of positive opposition. Al-Tawafuq Front has six seats in the new parliament. </p> <p>On his part, Ali Fulayh, a leading member of the Constitutional Party, which is one of the components of the Unity of Iraq Coalition that is led by outgoing Interior Minister Jawad al-Bulani, said the "coalition" was continuing its negotiations with all the parties in order to form a strong government capable of solving the Iraqis’ problems. He also denied in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat that there was an official announcement about joining the National Alliance but said a decisive session would be held today or tomorrow to make a decision.</p> <p>However, Al-Iraqiya List adviser Dr. Hani Ashur has stated that the List’s negotiations with the other blocs will continue on the basis that the INA and SLC are two separate blocs whose alliance has no effect on the progress of negotiations due to their different programs and candidates for the sovereign posts and their disagreement over the important issues. He said: The two coalitions’ announcement of the idea of an alliance does not concern Al-Iraqiya List but concerns them and has no constitutional or legal basis but is an attempt to resolve the crisis between them over candidacies for the sovereign posts and their conflicting programs and to find the points of agreement between them. This does not concern Al-Iraqiya List which is adhering to its constitutional right to form the government in accordance with the constitution and the Federal Court’s ruling which gave it the first right to form the government since it is the largest bloc with the largest number of seats. He added: Solving disagreements between the blocs in any way, whether as an alliance or an understanding, is something good under the democratic dialogue, particularly as some have firm wishes to head the government. Al-Iraqiya wishes the SLC and INA can solve their differences for the sake of serving Iraq and achieving the change in faces and programs when forming the next government. </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=21320" class="external" target="_blank">Iraq: Major Disputes within the National Alliance Asharq Alawsat Newspaper (English)</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-10719"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/25/al-maliki-discusses-government-formation-with-sadrist-delegation/#respond" title="Comment on Al-Maliki discusses government formation with Sadrist Delegation">No Comments</a></span> Posted on May 25th, 2010 by Erdla</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/25/al-maliki-discusses-government-formation-with-sadrist-delegation/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Al-Maliki discusses government formation with Sadrist Delegation">Al-Maliki discusses government formation with Sadrist Delegation</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/abdulsatar-al-biatti/" rel="tag">Abdulsatar al-Biatti</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-ahrar-party-sadrists/" rel="tag">Al-Ahrar Party (Sadrists)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/aswat-al-iraq/" rel="tag">Aswat Al Iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/dawa-party/" rel="tag">Dawa Party</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/government-formation/" rel="tag">government formation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ina/" rel="tag">INA</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/karar-al-khafaji/" rel="tag">Karar al-Khafaji</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/maliki-nouri-al/" rel="tag">Maliki - Nouri al-</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/nasser-al-rubaie/" rel="tag">Nasser al-Rubaie</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/nouri-al-maliki/" rel="tag">nouri al maliki</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/political-negotiations/" rel="tag">political negotiations</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/qusay-abdul-wahab/" rel="tag">Qusay Abdul Wahab</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sadr-city/" rel="tag">Sadr City</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sadrist-bloc/" rel="tag">Sadrist Bloc</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sadrist-political-council/" rel="tag">Sadrist political council</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-of-law-coalition/" rel="tag">State of Law Coalition</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d9%85%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b5%d8%af%d8%b1%e2%80%8e/" rel="tag">مدينة الصدر‎</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%ad%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b5%d8%af%d8%b1/" rel="tag">حركة الصدر</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <blockquote><p><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 42px; float: left; margin: 1px 1px 0px 0px; line-height: 36px; font-style: normal! important">T</span>he out going Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ,received on Monday a delegation from al-Sadr Movement and discussed the possibilities of forming the new Iraqi Government.</p> <p>“The delegation which consisted of the Head of the political bureau for the al-Sadr Movement Karrar al-Khafaji, Nassar al-Rubaee, Qusai Abdulwahab and Abdulsatar al-Biatti, have met with al-Maliki and discussed the possibilities of forming a new government and the ongoing dialogues between the State of Law Alliance, and the Iraqi National Coalition,”said a statement issued by al-Maliki’s office and received by Aswat Aliraq.</p> <p>The meeting also discussed the cooperation and coordination between both the Islamic Dawa Party and al-Sadr Movement within the political process frame and the formation of the new Iraqi government.</p> <p>In a joint press conference that was held after the meeting, al-Maliki said that the two sides “exchanged views within the ongoing efforts to form the government, as well as the bilateral relation between both the Islamic Dawa Party and al-Sadr Movement,” because they both belong to the same school, according to his description.</p> <p>“We need to revise and overcome all the crises that affect the relation between both parties, as well as strengthening the mutual partnership in order to rebuild the new Iraq, and also to demonstrate the ability of the oppressed people to live and work to rebuild the country,’ al-Maliki noted.</p> <p>In a question asked about the violence that raised sectarian strife in Sadr City (east of Baghdadad), al-Maliki said, “When partners get close, both the al-Qaeda and al-Baath Party start a sectarian violence, and when we succeeded to kill al-Qaeda leader, Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi, we found reports confirming their efforts to increase sectarian strife, and other reports indicating that as long as al-Maliki is in power it will be difficult to raise it.”</p> <p>He also praised the Sadrists for refusing to get motivated by the attempts of killing their Sunni brothers as well as the plans of both al-Qaeda and al-Baath Party to inflame sectarian strife.”</p> <p>On his part, Qusay Abdulwahab said that “the meeting of today has discussed the dialogues between the Sadr Movement and other political blocs to form the new government by the two alliances.”</p> <p>He added that “the meeting with al-Maliki, as the head of State of Law Coalition has discussed the candidates for the post of prime Minister, without accepting or rejecting to any of these candidates.”</p> <p>“These meetings between al-Sadr Movement and the Islamic Dawa Party are still going on, because both parties belong to the same roots, and the relation between them will not be affected by the political changes, and this relation has to be developed, and the Sadr School is considered important in the political reconstruction of the country,” Abdulwahab Said.</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=132216" class="external" target="_blank">Al-Maliki discusses new government with Sadrist : Aswat Al Iraq</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-10604"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/19/qa-iraq-had-elections-so-why-isnt-there-a-new-government-mcclatchy/#respond" title="Comment on Q&A: Iraq had elections, so why isn’t there a new government? | McClatchy">No Comments</a></span> Posted on May 19th, 2010 by Nur Hussein Ghazali</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/19/qa-iraq-had-elections-so-why-isnt-there-a-new-government-mcclatchy/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Q&A: Iraq had elections, so why isn’t there a new government? | McClatchy">Q&A: Iraq had elections, so why isn’t there a new government? | McClatchy</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ahmad-chalabi/" rel="tag">Ahmad Chalabi</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-sadr/" rel="tag">al sadr</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/allawi/" rel="tag">Allawi</a>, <a 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href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-of-law-coalition-vs-iraqiya-list/" rel="tag">State of Law Coalition vs. Iraqiya list</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tehran/" rel="tag">Tehran</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%ad%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b5%d8%af%d8%b1/" rel="tag">حركة الصدر</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p> </p> <blockquote><p>BAGHDAD, Iraq — Millions of Iraqi voters defied bombings and intimidation to cast ballots in the country’s March 7 parliamentary election, which was billed as historic because it was the first since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 to be organized, carried out and secured by Iraqis.</p> <p>The excitement of Election Day wore off quickly, however, and the country’s been locked in a state of political paralysis ever since as its top politicians battle to control the next government.</p> <p>The results were an upset: Secular Shiite Muslim politician Ayad Allawi’s bloc won more seats in parliament than favored incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, a conservative Shiite, did. The margin was so close, however, that political maneuvering to change the results has delayed the seating of a new government.</p> <p>Here’s a look at where the election results stand, what happens next and when a new government might take shape in Baghdad.</p> <p>Q: Have the major players changed since election day?</p> <p>A: Not much. The main blocs are still Allawi’s Iraqiya, a mixed-sect ticket with broad Sunni support; Maliki’s State of Law, mostly from his conservative Shiite Dawa Party; the Iraqi National Alliance, the main religious Shiite grouping of Iranian-backed parties, including politicians loyal to militant cleric Muqtada al Sadr.</p> <p>The two main Kurdish parties ran on a single ticket as the Kurdistan Alliance. An upstart Kurdish opposition party, Gorran, won some seats, as well.</p> <p>Q: One of the first snags was an attempt to disqualify some winning candidates by accusing them of ties to the late dictator Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party. Did they lose their seats?</p> <p>A: There were several rounds of de-Baathification, the controversial process of rooting out former Baathists and barring them from public service. Former exile and Bush administration ally Ahmad Chalabi and his deputy Ali al Lami, who both ran in the elections, oversaw the purges.</p> <p>Hundreds of candidates were eliminated, but an Iraqi court Monday ruled in favor of nine victorious candidates whose cases were in dispute. Those candidates are expected to take their seats in the next parliament.</p> <p>Q: Maliki rejected the election commission’s results and demanded a partial recount. Did the recount uncover fraud or change the results?</p> <p>A: At Maliki’s insistence, a court ruled that the election commission should conduct a recount, but only in Baghdad province. The recount uncovered no major fraud and didn’t alter Allawi’s Iraqiya bloc’s slight lead.</p> <p>Q: OK, so now the recount is over and the de-Baathification efforts have been suspended. What’s next?</p> <p>A: The next step is for Iraq’s top court to certify the final election results, which would start the clock on forming a government in accordance with the Iraqi constitution. The chief delay now is the intense, behind-the-scenes haggling over who’ll get the prime minister’s post and other key positions. With no group winning an outright majority, alliances are starting to take shape.</p> <p>For now, it looks as if Maliki’s State of Law and the Shiite-dominated Iraqi National Alliance are pairing up to challenge Allawi’s group for a majority in parliament. However, the Sadrists, a backbone of the Alliance, have long opposed Maliki as premier, which jeopardizes cooperation between the two groups.</p> <p>Also, there’s growing concern that cutting out Allawi, whose bloc was the nation’s top vote-getter, would be unacceptable to millions of Iraqis who voted for him, especially the Sunni minority.</p> <p>Q. What do ordinary Iraqis think?</p> <p>A. The word on the street is similar to the criticism from political quarters: The leadership is too busy guarding its own interests to pay attention to the security and other needs of ordinary citizens.</p> <p>With so many government offices in limbo, Iraqis say, everyday aspects of life have slowed to a halt: obtaining passports, approving state jobs, road and utility repairs, awarding contracts, to name just a few.</p> <p>The longer and bloodier this transition becomes, the more Iraqis begin to question their participation in the democratic process.</p> <p>Q. So when can we expect to see a new government?</p> <p>A. It’s hard to say. Maliki has predicted that it won’t take longer than July. Foreign diplomats speculate it’ll be sometime this summer; religious authorities hope things will be resolved in time for the holy month of Ramadan, which begins in August; and other political observers fear that it could last into the fall.</p> <p>Q. What are some of the main points of negotiation among all these blocs?</p> <p>A. Each bloc holds some powerful cards. Allawi’s bloc is the top vote getter, has the most Sunni support and is looked upon favorably by both the Americans and Iraq’s Arab neighbors. Maliki also won a huge number of votes, is the incumbent and has branded himself with some success as a nationalist.</p> <p>The chief kingmakers are the Sadrists, who want hundreds of their prisoners released and some senior cabinet posts, and the Kurds, who are insisting on keeping the presidency, gaining control of oil-rich Kirkuk and other territories that Sunni Arabs also claim, and holding cabinet positions in numbers that are proportionate to the Kurdish population.</p> <p>Q. What’s the role of the Americans, the Iranians and other foreign powers with vested interests in the outcome of the Iraqi elections?</p> <p>A. Both the Americans and Iranians have played it cool publicly, while meeting privately with all the key players.</p> <p>The Americans prefer a government that includes Sunnis and other minorities and is diverse enough to act as a spoiler to outright Iranian control.</p> <p>The Iranians, who have numerous allies and agents in Iraq, would like to see a continuation of Tehran-friendly, Shiite-dominated government, though some Iranian officials have said that some of Allawi’s allies must be included in order to work toward a more stable Iraq.</p> <p>Q. Who’s in charge while all these negotiations are going on? Are there limitations on the caretaker government?</p> <p>A. Maliki’s administration is carrying on with business as usual, but absent a parliament, the government cannot enter into international treaties, declare war or make any other major decisions that normally would require parliamentary approval.</p> <p>Q. Are there constitutional mechanisms to ensure that the paralysis doesn’t last forever?</p> <p>A. Yes. However, the current government found loopholes after the last parliamentary elections in 2005. For example, the constitution calls for the naming of a speaker of parliament in the legislature’s first session. To get around this and buy more time, the last parliament simply called a session to order and didn’t adjourn it for several weeks.</p> <p>Strictly speaking, once the top court certifies the election results, the parliament must convene within 15 days. In the first session, the members are required to choose a speaker and two deputy speakers. After that, they’re supposed to name the Iraqi president, though the constitution doesn’t specify a timeline.</p> <p>Once a president is elected by parliament, the president has 15 days to ask the nominee of the largest bloc in parliament to form a government within a month. If that fails, the president can ask another candidate from any bloc to try.</p> <p>Q. Will the delay in forming a government affect security in Iraq?</p> <p>A. Many Iraqis, including members of the current parliament, argue that the delay already has chipped away at security.</p> <p>In the aftermath of a series of devastating bombings, including a day when attacks killed more than 100 people, some Iraqi politicians said that militants were taking advantage of the security void, which they blamed on the Iraqi leadership’s preoccupation with political negotiations.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/18/v-print/94397/qa-iraq-had-elections-so-why-isnt.html" class="external" target="_blank">Q&A: Iraq had elections, so why isn’t there a new government? | McClatchy</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-10582"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/18/17th-18th-may-2010-selected-english-language-coverage/#respond" title="Comment on 17th-18th May-2010 Selected English Language Coverage">No Comments</a></span> Posted on May 18th, 2010 by Nabil</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/18/17th-18th-may-2010-selected-english-language-coverage/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to 17th-18th May-2010 Selected English Language Coverage">17th-18th May-2010 Selected English Language Coverage</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/abdul-qader/" rel="tag">Abdul Qader</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/abdul-razzaq/" rel="tag">Abdul Razzaq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/abdullah-azzam/" 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href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkish-petroleum-corporation/" rel="tag">Turkish Petroleum Corporation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d9%85%d9%82%d8%aa%d8%af%d9%89-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b5%d8%af%d8%b1/" rel="tag">مقتدى الصدر</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/who/" rel="tag">WHO</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/world-cup/" rel="tag">World Cup</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/xinhua/" rel="tag">Xinhua</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%ad%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b5%d8%af%d8%b1/" rel="tag">حركة الصدر</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>I have selected Nizar Latif’s article "<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100517/FOREIGN/705169809/1002/rss" class="external" target="_blank">Alliance could keep al Maliki in power</a>" in "The National" because it covers very well the situation that the other blocs find themselves in with regard to the Sadrists. In that context I should mention this posting (<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/18/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b9%d8%af-%d9%84%d8%a5%d8%b1%d8%b3%d8%a7%d9%84-%d9%88%d9%81%d8%af-%d8%b1%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%b9-%d8%a5%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%a5%d9%8a%d8%b1/">العراقية تستعد لإرسال وفد رفيع إلى إيران لمقابلة السيد مقتدى الصدر | Gorilla’s Guides</a>) made by my colleague Nabil which reveals that a delegation from Allawi’s list (the Iraqiyal list) met members of the Sadrist trend’s political bureau and that they are preparing to send a delegation to Iran to meet Muqtada al-Sadr.</p> <p>I have also picked an article that appeared in the London "Times" about the plan to build a wall around Baghdad in the hope of keeping bombers out.</p> <p>More immediately there is a lot of interest in the two al-Qaeda members arrested and who apparently were planning to attack the World Cup in South Africa. A <em>lot</em> has been made of the claims that one of them was a Saudi military officer, <em><strong>"not so fast"</strong></em> say the Saudis. (And if you think from Major General Mansour al-Turki’s name that Saudi Arabia is a family business you’d be right).</p> <p>Did you know that <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=3.1.411141523" class="external" target="_blank">"most of the prisoners freed by American forces from their prisons in the last few years have become Al-Qaeda leaders once they are released"</a> ? </p> <p>No? No, I did not know it either, but it does explain why every time that an alleged al-Qaeda member is killed/captured/accidentally blows themself up that they are always described as being a "senior" al-Qaeda commander/leader/prince/warlord. </p> <p>62 of them were sentenced to death today i don’t know how many of them received a fair trial or how many of them were truly members of an al-Qaeda affiliated movement. ( That there is an al-Qaeda inspired fighter movement in parts of Irak is true and they enforce their will brutally as the slaughter of two clergy proved).</p> <p style="padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: gray 1px solid">Nabil</p> <h3 style="color: #800000">The Day(s) In Quotes:</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Sheikh Dhea al Shouki, a leading preacher at Kufa mosque, in the Sadrists’ heartland to Nizar Latif on the political crisis: </p> <p></strong>“I tell the Iraqi people to look out for themselves and to protect themselves because the coming situation will be one of sectarianism and interference in Iraq by neighbouring countries. The Iraqi government is corrupt and the Iraqi army is not serving the people well.” </p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100517/FOREIGN/705169809/1002/rss" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Source</strong></a><strong> </strong></li> <li><strong>Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman  Major General Mansour al-Turki to <em>Asharq Al-Awsat</em> on the identity of the Saudi military officer detained in Irak as an al-Qaeda commander  <br/></strong> <br/>"The identity of the individual mentioned by the material evidence requires verification, especially as the public information confirms that he has previously impersonated another figure. " </li> </ul> <h3 style="color: #800000">Human Rights:</h3> <p> <strong>62 Iraqis sentenced to death</strong><strong>: Xinhua</strong><br/> <blockquote>RAMADI, Iraq, May 18 (Xinhua) — A court in Anbar province gave death penalties to 62 Iraqis and different prison terms, including life imprisonment, to 130 others, a source from Anbar police command said on Tuesday. <p>The court in the province delivered the verdicts according to article 4 of the Iraqi counter-terrorism law after the court found them guilty for crimes of killings, bombings, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. </p> <p>Some senior leaders of the al-Qaida organization and leaders of other insurgent groups were among those who received death sentences, the source said. </p> <p>Many of the 130 convicts were either fighters of al-Qaida group or involved in assisting the group to carry out deadly attacks, the source added. </p> <p>"All the convicts were residents of Anbar province," he said </p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-05/18/c_13301622.htm" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>:</strong></p> </blockquote> <h3 style="color: #800000">Politics and Security</h3> <p><strong>Alliance could keep al Maliki in power – The National Newspaper</strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p><em>snip</em></p> <p>Until yesterday it had seemed unlikely that Mr al Maliki would be chosen as the new alliance’s candidate for prime minister, with the Sadrists, a major faction in INA, saying they would veto his election. </p> <p>However, that threat has now apparently been withdrawn, giving a significant boost to Mr Maliki’s hopes of leading the country for another four years. </p> <p>“We have no veto over Mr al Maliki being chosen as prime minister and we can work with him, for the good of Iraq,” said Bahar al Araje, a senior Sadrist, confirming statements made by Saleh al Obeidi, a spokesman for the group’s leader, cleric Muqtada al Sadr. </p> <p><em>snip</em></p> <p>According to Mr al Araje, the Sadrists continue to harbour reservations about Mr al Maliki and he made it clear that, while the Sadr movement would not veto the prime minister’s coveted reappointment, it may not give him its outright support. </p> <p>“We still have criticisms of Mr al Maliki, including that he does not consult when he makes decisions, that he continues to detain followers of Muqtada al Sadr and that he has politicised the security forces,” Mr Araje said. “While we will not veto him, and while we will continue in an alliance with the State of Law coalition, I do not expect Mr al Maliki to be prime minister again, It will be another candidate.” </p> <p>The Sadr movement indicated it had laid down conditions for ending its veto against Mr al Maliki, including that he release scores of detainees. That has not yet happened. </p> <p>While a major obstruction to Mr al Maliki’s return as prime minister appears to have been removed, his position is far from certain. </p> <p>The State of Law/INA alliance has yet to name its leader, with a 14-member committee supposed to make the selection. </p> <p><em>snip</em></p> <p>Although the Sadrist leadership appears to have ended its open hostility to Mr al Maliki, Muqtada al Sadr’s followers seem far from convinced. </p> <p>With the atmosphere in Iraq increasingly one of alarm at rising violence and recent deadly sectarian attacks, Sheikh Dhea al Shouki, a leading preacher at Kufa mosque, in the Sadrists’ heartland, said he feared for the future. </p> <p>“I tell the Iraqi people to look out for themselves and to protect themselves because the coming situation will be one of sectarianism and interference in Iraq by neighbouring countries,” he said in a telephone interview. “The Iraqi government is corrupt and the Iraqi army is not serving the people well.” </p> <p><em>snip</em></p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100517/FOREIGN/705169809/1002/rss" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p> <strong>Baghdad to enclose city with 15ft wall to keep suicide bombers out – Times Online</strong><strong>: </strong><br/> <blockquote>Baghdad is to resort to one of the oldest forms of defence by building a massive wall around the capital to keep out insurgents, The Times has learnt. <p>A series of recent suicide bombings has driven the governor of the Iraqi capital to propose the concrete barrier, which will be 15ft (4.5m) high and 70 miles (112km) long. Every man, beast and vehicle entering will be searched at one of only eight gates along the main highways. </p> <p>Baghdad, roughly the same size as London and with approximately five million inhabitants, will face severe disruption as a result. Freedom of movement will be limited and workers and visitors alike will probably have to wait for at least an hour to enter. Once inside, though, it is hoped they will be much safer. Shatha al-Obeidi, an aide to Salah Abdul Razzaq, the governor, said: “We want to stop the terrorist from sneaking in. With the wall it will be much easier.” </p> <p>Building work is expected to take about a year. Once the wall is completed, officials plan to remove most of the 1,500 checkpoints and many miles of cement blast barriers that have sprung up inside Baghdad over the past few years. “We have become a city filled with concrete,” said Ms al-Obeidi. “That will change.” </p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article7129217.ece" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p> <strong>Iraqi forces capture 2 non-Iraqi Arab Qaida leaders</strong><strong>: Xinhua </strong><br/> <blockquote> <p>BAGHDAD, May 17 (Xinhua) — Iraqi security forces said Monday they have arrested two non-Iraqi Arab Qaida leaders, and one of them is said to be part of a plan to carry out terrorist act during the coming soccer World Cup in South Africa. </p> <p>The two were allegedly a Saudi and Algerian nationals who were captured in separate raids in Baghdad, according to a military spokesman. </p> <p>Azzam Saleh al-Qahtani, known as Sinan al-Saudi, 31, was an officer in the Saudi Army before he came to Iraq in 2004. Al-Saudi later became an al-Qaida security leader in Anbar and Salahudin provinces in western and central Iraq respectively, Major General Qassim Atta told a news conference. </p> <p>Atta said that al-Saudi was involved in "planning and coordination to carry out attacks during the World Cup in South Africa in complicity with Ayman al-Zawahiri (al-Qaida’s No. 2 top leader)." </p> <p>Al-Saudi was also involved in the Baghdad massive bombings and many robberies against jewellers and killings of many people, Atta added. </p> <p>Another Qaida leader named Tariq Hassan Abdul Qader, known as Abu Ysseen al-Jazairi, 34, an Algerian national, was also captured by a joint U.S. and Iraqi force, Atta said, adding that al-Jazairi was captured in November last year but his captured was not announced as he was interrogated for information about his terrorist group. </p> <p>Al-Jazairi, who entered Iraq in 2005 through Anbar province, was the leader of al-Qaida’s military wing in Karkh area, the west side of Tigris River that bisects the Iraqi capital, Atta said.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-05/17/c_13299597.htm" class="external" target="_blank">source</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p> <strong>Saudi Arabia Wants to Verify Identity of World Cup Terrorist Asharq Alawsat Newspaper (English)</strong><strong>: </strong><br/> <blockquote> <p>After the Iraqi security services announced their arrest of Saudi citizen Abdullah Azzam Saleh Misfar al-Qahtani, Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Mansour al-Turki informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi Arabia is also looking for a fugitive with a similar name and characteristics. Iraq claims that al-Qahtani is a former Saudi army officer and a senior member in the Al Qaeda organization in Iraq, and that he was planning to carry out a terrorist attack at this year’s World Cup which is set to begin in South Africa in the next few weeks. </p> <p>Saudi Interior Ministry Security spokesman Major General Mansour al-Turki refused to confirm or deny that al-Qahtani had been arrested, telling Asharq Al-Awsat that "the identity of the individual mentioned by the material evidence requires verification, especially as the public information confirms that he has previously impersonated another figure. " </p> <p>In his statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, Major General al-Turki said that the information available to the Saudi security apparatus "refers to the departure of a Saudi citizen who has a similar name [to this] outside of Saudi Arabia as part of an unessential holiday in the month of Shawwal 1425 (2004) and that his return [to Saudi] has not been recorded until now." </p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=20993" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </p> </blockquote> <p> <strong>Iraq: Former prisoners ‘becoming Al-Qaeda leaders’ – Adnkronos Security</strong><strong>: </strong><br/> <blockquote>Iraqi security forces are concerned that many of the prisoners released by US troops are becoming leaders in the Al-Qaeda terror network on their release. According to local news site, Al-Sumaria News, Baghdad security forces spokesman Major General Qassim Atta revealed the level of concern to reporters on a visit to Abu Ghraib prison. <p>"Most of the prisoners freed by American forces from their prisons in the last few years have become Al-Qaeda leaders once they are released," he told reporters. </p> <p>"To stop this phenomenon we have signed a security accord with US troops, so that before freeing any prisoner they ask Iraqi forces their opinion." </p> <p>In the past US troops, who had more than 20,000 prisoners in Iraqi prisons, could release prisoners without informing local security forces.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=3.1.411141523" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p><strong>News – World: Imams ’slaughtered in Iraq’</strong><strong>:</strong> </p> <blockquote><p>Baquba – Two Sunni Arab imams were brutally killed on Monday in Iraq, including one who was decapitated and had his head planted on a power pole, in attacks blamed on al-Qaeda, military officials said. </p> <p>The slayings in the province of Diyala, north-east of Baghdad, were against anti-Qaeda preachers who regularly railed against the terror network during Friday sermons. </p> <p>"At around 2.00pm (11.00 GMT), armed al-Qaeda members captured Sheikh Abdullah Shakur while he was in Saadiyah market," said a Diyala military command officer who declined to be identified, referring to the central town. </p> <p>"They returned an hour later with his head and attached it to an electricity post." </p> <p>Shakur, imam of Saadiyah’s mosque, had received several death threats from al-Qaeda, who had demanded that he leave the town, which is home to large Sunni, Shiite and Kurd populations. </p> <p>The town, located about 100 kilometres east of the Diyala provincial capital Baquba, was an al-Qaeda stronghold during Iraq’s sectarian conflict in 2006 and 2007. </p> <p>According to the Diyala military officer, in the village of Al-Bushaheen, 20 kilometres north of Baquba, gunmen burst into the home of Sheikh Hashim Arif at about 3.00am (00.00 GMT), dragged him to his garden and shot him dead in front of his family.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=nw20100517165430331C338773" class="external" target="_blank">source</a></strong><strong>:</strong> </p> </blockquote> <h3 style="color: #800000">Society and Economy:</h3> <p> <strong>France24 – Iraq signs oil field deal with Chinese, Turkish firms</strong><strong>: </strong><br/> <blockquote>Iraq signed a deal with Chinese energy giant CNOOC and Turkey’s TPAO on Monday to develop a major southern oilfield complex, its 11th deal with foreign energy firms as Baghdad aims to boost crude output. <p>Among the cluster of fields in the Maysan complex, along Iraq’s border with Iran, is a field partially claimed by Tehran, whose forces temporarily took over an oil well in the Fakka oilfield in December for several days but withdrew after talks between the two countries. </p> <p><em>snip</em></p> <p>CNOOC and TPAO agreed to be paid 2.30 dollars per barrel of oil extracted from the Maysan cluster of fields, which has proven reserves of 2.6 billion barrels of oil. </p> <p>Under the deal, output is projected to be ramped up to 450,000 barrels per day (bpd), compared to current production of around 100,000 bpd. </p> <p>The Chinese firm will have an 85-percent stake in the joint venture, while TPAO holds the remaining 15 percent. The Iraqi government will have a 25-percent stake in the overall project. </p> <p>The agreed deal was worth around a tenth of what was initially requested — CNOOC and Sinochem, another Chinese energy firm, had originally asked for 21.4 dollars per barrel when the field was auctioned to foreign firms last June. </p> <p>Sinochem has since pulled out of the deal. </p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.france24.com/en/20100517-iraq-signs-oil-field-deal-with-chinese-turkish-firms" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p> <strong>Iraq, Kuwait still going at it » Kuwait Times Website</strong><strong>: </strong><br/> <blockquote> <p>A fierce legal fight between the national airlines of Iraq and Kuwait has revived deep resentments that have been simmering since Saddam Hussein first sent his army into oil-rich, neighboring Kuwait back in 1990. The dispute has been playing out in British courts since soon after the end of the first Gulf War, with Kuwait Airways claiming it is owed $1.2 billion by Iraqi Airways for 10 aircraft and spare parts that were looted during the occupation by Iraqi forces.</p> <p>Lawyers representing Kuwait have accused Iraq of perjury, forgery and a general pervasion of the justice system. In turn, Kuwait has been accused of exploiting Iraq’s instability and being insensitive to the suffering of the Iraqi people. The dispute resurfaced April 25 when the first Iraqi Airways flight from Baghdad to London in more than 20 years was met at Gatwick Airport by lawyers representing Kuwait Airway armed with an injunction issued by a British court. The authorities confiscated the passport of Iraqi Airways director Kifah Hassan Jabbar, and impounded the aircraft, which had been leased from a Swedish company.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MTMzNjM5NTE2NQ==" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-10545"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/16/16th-may-2010-selected-english-language-coverage/#respond" title="Comment on 16th-May-2010 Selected English Language Coverage">No Comments</a></span> Posted on May 16th, 2010 by Ra'ed Al-Bayati</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/16/16th-may-2010-selected-english-language-coverage/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to 16th-May-2010 Selected 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rel="tag">Iyad Allawi</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/jalal-talabani/" rel="tag">Jalal Talabani</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/jordan/" rel="tag">Jordan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kirkuk/" rel="tag">Kirkuk</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/krg/" rel="tag">KRG</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdistan/" rel="tag">Kurdistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdistan-democratic-party/" rel="tag">kurdistan democratic party</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdistan-regional-government/" rel="tag">kurdistan regional government</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/major-general-babakir-zebari/" rel="tag">Major General Babakir Zebari</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/maysan/" rel="tag">maysan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/militias/" rel="tag">Militias</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/nassiriyah/" rel="tag">Nassiriyah</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/newspaper-summaries/" rel="tag">Newspaper summaries</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/oil/" rel="tag">oil</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/oil-ministry/" rel="tag">Oil Ministry</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/oil-production/" rel="tag">oil production</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/political-negotiations/" rel="tag">political negotiations</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/politics-and-security/" rel="tag">Politics and Security</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/rabia/" rel="tag">Rabia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/resources/" rel="tag">Resources</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/reuters/" rel="tag">Reuters</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/reuters-alertnet/" rel="tag">reuters alertnet</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sinochem/" rel="tag">sinochem</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-of-law-coalition/" rel="tag">State of Law Coalition</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/summaries/" rel="tag">Summaries</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/xinhua/" rel="tag">Xinhua</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/zebari-major-general-babacar/" rel="tag">Zebari - Major General Babacar</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>I’ve selected a few articles on the recount results being announced and have also selected Reuters’ very useful "factbox" on the steps and deadlines in the government formation process. The Turkish paper "Today’s Zaman" carried a long report on KRG leader Massoud Barzani’s visit to Ankara. Briefly the paper says that a rapprochement with KRG is part of Turkey’s attempts to solve it’s own "Kurdish problem" the article is well worth reading in full. </p> <p>Xinhua’s report on the al-Qaeda affiliated ISI’s choosing new leadership ends with this sharp piece of commentary:</p> <blockquote><p>The nominations of new al-Qaida leaders came after the killing of the two top al-Qaida leaders Abu Ayyub al-Musri and Abu Omer al- Baghdadi in a military operation by Iraqi and U.S. forces last month.</p> <p>Both Iraqi and U.S. officials said the killing of the two men dealt a big blow to al-Qaida in the war-torn country. However, major attacks continued across the country, leaving hundreds dead in the past several weeks</p> </blockquote> <p>Al Zaman’s English edition reports on General Babacer Zebari’s statement that 11 senior al-Qaeda commanders are still at large in Irak. The paper points out that the GZG blames almost all violence in the country on Qaeda bu that analysts and senior government officials say rival political factions with heavily armed militias are also to blame.</p> <p>On the economic front the United Arab Emirates newspaper "The National"  reports that the Chinese state-controlled petroleum company Sinochem has quit the Maysan oilfield project the article is long but it too will repay the time you spend reading it in full.</p> <p style="padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: gray 1px solid"><em>Raed</em></p> <h3 style="color: #800000">The Day In Quotes:</h3> <p><strong>Independent High Electoral Commission Qassim al-Abboudi to Xinhua on the result of the Baghdad recount:</strong></p> <blockquote><p>"There is no change in the numbers of seats of any political entity by the re-count of votes of Baghdad province,"</p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-05/16/c_13297567.htm" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>source</strong></a></p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Independent High Electoral Commission Qassim al-Abboudi to AP on the result of the Baghdad recount</strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>"I hope that all political blocks are satisfied now that the electoral process was honest and all allegations of fraud and forgery were totally incorrect".</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37173752/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/" class="external" target="_blank">Source</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <h3 style="color: #800000">Politics and Security</h3> <div style="border-right: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-right: 5px; border-top: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-left: 5px; float: right; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; border-left: lightgrey 1px solid; width: 285px; padding-top: 5px; border-bottom: lightgrey 1px solid"> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.reuters.com/" class="external" target="_blank">Reuters</a> have a guide to the "steps in Iraq’s crawl towards a government which I reproduce in full below:</p> <p><strong>Reuters AlertNet – FACTBOX-Deadlines, steps in Iraq’s crawl towards a government</strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>REUTERS – A recount of votes cast in Baghdad did not change the results of Iraq’s March 7 election, leaving intact the two-seat lead of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi’s cross-sectarian Iraqiya coalition.</p> <p>Because no coalition won enough seats for a majority in parliament, weeks of political negotiations may be needed before the formation of a new government.</p> <p>Here are the next official steps and constitutional deadlines as Iraq’s fledgling democracy crawls toward establishing its next government:</p> <p>* The Independent High Electoral Commission said it would publish the preliminary results on Monday and objectors would have three days to file complaints before the results could be sent to a court for final certification.</p> <p>* The supreme court has no deadline for certifying the results but election officials said they did not expect a long delay. The court has been considering the results from 17 other provinces, excluding Baghdad, for several days already.</p> <p>* President Jalal Talabani must call on the new parliament to convene within 15 days from the date of the certification of the election results.</p> <p>* The oldest member of the Council of Representatives chairs the first session, in which members have a maximum of 15 days to elect a speaker and two deputies.</p> <p>* The council elects a new president within 30 days of its first session.</p> <p>* The new president has 15 days to ask the largest bloc in parliament to try to form a government and choose a prime minister.</p> <p>* The prime minister-designate must form a governing coalition and name a cabinet, or Council of Ministers, within 30 days.</p> <p>* If the prime minister-designate fails to pick a cabinet in the required time, the president has 15 days to nominate someone else to try to form a government.</p> <p>* The new prime minister designate has 30 days to try to form a governing coalition and council of ministers.</p> <p>* A new government is deemed to have been formed when a prime minister’s cabinet nominees and their programmes win the approval of an absolute majority of the members of the Council of Representatives, or parliament.</p> <p>SOURCE: Iraqi constitution, election officials </p> <p>(Reporting by Waleed Ibrahim, Muhanad Mohammed and Ahmed Rasheed, editing by Jim Loney)<strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE64F0C6.htm" class="external" target="_blank">Source</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote></div> <p><strong>Iraq election recount confirms Iyad Allawi victory | World news | The Guardian</strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>A recount of votes in Iraq’s general election did not change the allocation of seats, officials said today, leaving the cross-sectarian coalition led by Iyad Allawi with the biggest parliamentary presence.</p> <p>The secularist former prime minister Allawi’s Iraqiya bloc, supported heavily by Iraq’s minority Sunnis, won 91 seats in the 7 March vote, edging out the mainly Shia State of Law coalition led by the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, which won 89.</p> <p>Allawi has insisted that winning the close election should give him the first opportunity to form a new government, but Maliki’s bloc has already announced an alliance with the Shia Iraqi National Alliance, which polled third, to form the largest grouping in parliament.</p> <p>The Shia-dominated alliance could push Allawi to the sidelines and anger Sunnis who supported Iraqiya, raising concerns about a potential revival of sectarian conflict as US troops prepare to end combat operations in Iraq by 1 September.</p> <p>The recount of 2.5m votes in Baghdad left intact Allawi’s two-seat lead. "There is a change, but not a significant change, for the [candidates] inside the blocs. … The number of the seats stays as is," said Saad al-Rawi, one of nine commissioners on the Independent High Electoral Commission. </p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/16/iraq-election-recount" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Read in full</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <p><em>See also: </em><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2010/05/201051615121968150.html" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Al Jazeera English – Middle East – Result unchanged after Iraq recount</strong></a><strong>:</strong></p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds: From Red Lines to Red Carpets</strong><strong>: Today’s Zaman</strong></p> <blockquote><p>If all goes to plan Massoud Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will be paying his first official visit to Turkey next month. <br/>The decision to invite the Kurdish leader is in line with recent moves designed to end over a decade of hostility between Ankara and the Iraqi Kurdish leadership. Friendship with the Iraqi Kurds is one of the main pillars of Turkey’s attempts to solve its long-running Kurdish problem.</p> <p>Until recently Barzani, who is also the leader of the most powerful Iraqi Kurdish faction, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), was firmly embedded in Turkey’s official gallery of rogues. He was derided as a cocky tribal upstart who emboldened by U.S. support was accused of plotting against Turkey. Turkey’s hawkish generals would ever so often warn against the “red lines” that Barzani must not breach. “Don’t try to grab Kirkuk” or else… Don’t think about independence or else…” The subtext was that Turkey would invade the Kurdish controlled enclave. A defiant Barzani vowed to fight back. The potential for conflict between a critical NATO ally, Turkey, and its Kurdish friends in Iraq was long a source of worry in Washington. Now the red lines are fading. Turkey is preparing to roll out the red carpet for Barzani. The Kurds’ internationally respected leader is expected to meet with Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and perhaps even with President Abdullah Gül.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-210325-100-turkey-and-the-iraqi-kurds-from-red-lines-to-red-carpets.html" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>:</strong></p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Qaida group in Iraq nominates new top leaders</strong><strong>: Xinhua</strong></p> <blockquote><p>BAGHDAD, May 16 (Xinhua) — Al-Qaida in Iraq insurgent group announced Sunday it has nominated new top leaders for its self- styled Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), the group said in a statement posted on the internet.</p> <p>The Mujahdeen Shura Council (MSC), which is an al-Qaida-led umbrella organization of extremist Sunni militant groups, said it has chosen Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi al-Hussieni al-Quraishi as the emir, or leader of the "believers" to be the head of the ISI.</p> <p>The statement said that the MSC also nominated Abu Abdullah al- Hassani al-Quraishi as first minister and deputy for Abu Bakr al- Quraishi.</p> <p>On Friday, the MSC nominated al-Nasser Lideen Allah Abu Suleiman as its "minister of war" for the ISI, who vowed to continue deadly attacks with "dark days in blood color."</p> <p>The nominations of new al-Qaida leaders came after the killing of the two top al-Qaida leaders Abu Ayyub al-Musri and Abu Omer al- Baghdadi in a military operation by Iraqi and U.S. forces last month.</p> <p>Both Iraqi and U.S. officials said the killing of the two men dealt a big blow to al-Qaida in the war-torn country. However, major attacks continued across the country, leaving hundreds dead in the past several weeks.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-05/16/c_13297379.htm" class="external" target="_blank">Source</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p><strong>11 Qaeda commanders still at large in Iraq, senior military officer says</strong><strong>:  | Azzaman in English</strong></p> <blockquote><p>Iraqi security troops have killed 32 out of 43 Qaeda commanders in the country, said Lt. Gen. Babaker Zaibari.</p> <p>Zaibari, who is Iraqi Chiefs of Staff Chairman, said there were 11 more senior Qaeda commanders at large “and their presence constitutes a security threat.”</p> <p>The Iraqi government blames almost all violence in the country on Qaeda but analysts and senior government officials say rival political factions with heavily armed militias are also to blame.</p> <p>They say some political factions with their unruly militias are embroiled in a bitter struggle and battle of liquidation of opponents.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news%5C2010-05-15%5Ckurd.htm" class="external" target="_blank">Read in full</a></strong><strong>:</strong></p> </blockquote> <h3 style="color: #800000">Society and Economy:</h3> <blockquote> </blockquote> <p><strong>Sinochem exits Iraq oilfield deal – The National Newspaper</strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>A Chinese state-controlled petroleum company has quit an Iraqi oil project, voting with its feet against the scant returns on investment offered by Baghdad.</p> <p>Despite the undoubted importance of Iraq’s oil resources to China, which already imports significant volumes of Iraqi crude to fuel its economy, Sinochem International has withdrawn from a consortium led by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) to develop the Missan oilfield complex in the south-east of Iraq. <br/>“Sinochem was not interested in the deal,” Abdul al Ameedi, the director of the licensing and contracting office of the Iraqi oil ministry, told Reuters.</p> <p>The withdrawal from one of a dozen big oil developments, on which Baghdad was pinning its hopes of more than quadrupling Iraq’s oil production capacity by 2017, is the second this year.</p> <p>Iraq, which pumps 2.4 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude, has set 12 billion bpd as its target production capacity, rivalling that of Saudi Arabia, as it seeks to rebuild its shattered economy.</p> <p>But in late February, Iraq broke off talks with a Japanese consortium led by Nippon Oil, which Baghdad had chosen over rival groups led by Italy’s Eni and Spain’s Repsol to develop the Nassiriyah oilfield.</p> <p>During the failed negotiations, the Japanese companies had indicated concerns over how Baghdad would reimburse their costs for field development and handling workforce security and safety.</p> <p>In general, Chinese companies bidding on foreign oil projects have been more tolerant of tight contractual terms than western companies, because of the strategic energy agenda of their controlling shareholder, Beijing.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100516/BUSINESS/705169923/1005/rss" class="external" target="_blank">Read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-10531"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/16/what-happens-next-in-iraq-after-baghdad-recount/#respond" title="Comment on What happens next in Iraq after Baghdad recount?">No Comments</a></span> Posted on May 16th, 2010 by Yusuf Al-Jezani</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/16/what-happens-next-in-iraq-after-baghdad-recount/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to What happens next in Iraq after Baghdad recount?">What happens next in Iraq after Baghdad recount?</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/category/analysis-briefings-commentary/" title="View all posts in Analysis Briefings Commentary" rel="category tag">Analysis Briefings Commentary</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-najifi-osama/" rel="tag">al-Najifi -Osama</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-nujaifi-osama/" rel="tag">al-Nujaifi - 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Kurdish demands to retain</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/prime-ministerial-nomination-committee/" rel="tag">prime ministerial nomination committee</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/reuters/" rel="tag">Reuters</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/reuters-alertnet/" rel="tag">reuters alertnet</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sadrist-bloc/" rel="tag">Sadrist Bloc</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sadrist-leaders-detention-campaign-by-gzgbadr/" rel="tag">Sadrist leaders - detention campaign by GZG/Badr</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/saleh-al-mutlaq/" rel="tag">Saleh al-Mutlaq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sectarian-tensions/" rel="tag">sectarian tensions</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-of-law-coalition/" rel="tag">State of Law Coalition</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-of-law-coalition-vs-iraqiya-list/" rel="tag">State of Law Coalition vs. Iraqiya list</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-of-law-coalition-with-ina/" rel="tag">State of Law Coalition With INA</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-of-lawina-prime-ministerial-nomination-committee/" rel="tag">State of Law/INA prime ministerial nomination committee</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/talbani-2nd-term/" rel="tag">Talbani - 2nd term</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tariq-al-hashimi/" rel="tag">Tariq al-Hashimi</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%ad%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b5%d8%af%d8%b1/" rel="tag">حركة الصدر</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>BAGHDAD, May 16 (<a title="Reuters" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE64E02O.htm" class="external" target="_blank">Reuters</a>) – The end of a recount of votes in Baghdad opens the way for Iraq’s March 7 election results to be finally certified more than two months after the ballot, and for coalition-forming talks to begin in earnest. </p> <p>It does not mean the pace of government formation will necessarily pick up, and the ingredients are still in place for a protracted political vacuum in which sectarian tensions could lead to violence as U.S. troops pack up and start to leave. </p> <p>The sectarian warfare between once dominant Sunnis and majority Shi’ites that was kicked off after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion has subsided substantially since its peak in 2006/07. </p> <p>But a string of attacks by a weakened yet still lethal Sunni Islamist insurgency since the ballot has fuelled fears of a slide back into broad bloodshed that could derail U.S. plans to end combat operations in August ahead of a full pullout in 2011. </p> <p>The following is a glimpse into political negotiations thought to be taking place and a review of possible outcomes. </p> <h3>WHO GETS FIRST CHANCE TO FORM A GOVERNMENT </h3> <p>The recount left intact the two-seat election lead of the cross-sectarian Iraqiya list of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi over the predominantly Shi’ite State of Law bloc of incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. </p> <p>But Allawi’s chances of forming a government are slim, raising the prospect of anger among minority Sunnis who backed Iraqiya and who see its electoral success as a vindication of their claim to greater clout in post-invasion Iraq. </p> <p>Instead, a Shi’ite mega tie-up announced between Maliki’s faction and the other main Shi’ite group, the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), has the best chance. They are just four seats short of a governing majority in the new 325-seat parliament. </p> <p>In theory, the president picked by the next parliament when it sits should give Allawi as the election winner the first shot at trying to form a government and 30 days in which to do so. </p> <p>The supreme court, though, has already issued an opinion stating that right could also legally be granted to the single biggest bloc in the new parliament. </p> <h3>WHO IS TALKING TO WHOM </h3> <p>In the meantime, State of Law and the INA will be talking to the recently unified Kurdish bloc about what concessions will be needed to bring the Kurds’ 57 or so seats into the fold. </p> <p>The Kurds want the presidency, a resumption in their oil exports, and commitments on disputed areas like Kirkuk, which the Kurds want wrapped into their semi-autonomous enclave. </p> <p>Maliki’s envoys will also be talking to members of Iraqiya who might cross the floor if offered a suitably attractive deal, such as a ministry. It will be important to bestow a Sunni tint on an otherwise Shi’ite-Kurdish dominated government. </p> <p>Among those who might be tempted to desert Allawi could be incumbent Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, a prominent Sunni, or members of former Sunni lawmaker Saleh al-Mutlaq’s list. </p> <p>Hashemi would bring with him around 9 seats while Mutlaq’s former National Dialogue Front could deliver at least 20. Mutlaq himself was barred from the election because of alleged links to Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein’s outlawed Baath party. </p> <p>Sunni politician Osama al-Nujaifi, who controls around half of Iraqiya’s 20-odd seats in the violent northern province of Nineveh, may also be willing to deal with State of Law and INA. </p> <p>The inclusion of a large-enough Sunni bloc may defuse some of the outrage Sunnis will feel at Allawi being sidelined by the Shi’ite factions that have dominated Iraq since Saddam’s fall. </p> <h3>WHAT STILL STANDS IN THE WAY OF A SHI’ITE MEGA-MERGER </h3> <p>The pick of prime minister is a hurdle that could yet defeat the plans to create a Shi’ite mega-faction. </p> <p>Maliki, the top vote winner in the March election, insists that he be returned to office for a second term. </p> <p>But he is opposed by the movement of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, which won 39 of INA’s 70 seats and dislikes Maliki for sending troops to crush Sadr’s Mehdi Army militia. </p> <p>Maliki is viewed with disquiet within the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, which has seen its former dominance of Shi’ite politics whittled away by Maliki’s growing stature. </p> <p>In addition, the incumbent prime minister is thought to be viewed by Tehran as overly independent. Shi’ite power Iran has been an influential player in Iraq since its Shi’ite majority was propelled into political supremacy by the invasion. </p> <p>Under the tie-up, State of Law and INA were to create a 14-person committee to decide on a prime ministerial nominee. </p> <p>The formation of the panel has been stymied by disagreement within the INA as to who should be included in it, and by State of Law opposition to the INA side appointing too many Sadrists. </p> <p>The committee, once formed, will have a week to endorse a prime minister unanimously. If it fails, it will then vote on a selection. The winning candidate will need 80 percent support. If that also fails, a new mechanism will have to be agreed. </p> <h3>HOW LONG </h3> <p>It could still take months to form a new government. </p> <p>While the election results will most likely be certified by June, diplomats expect politicians to want a package deal on all remaining issues — prime minister, president and ministries — before the new parliament is allowed to hold its first session. </p> <p>A popular estimate for a new government is August, just when U.S. troops levels are supposed to go down by half to 50,000. </p> <h3>SPIRAL OF VIOLENCE </h3> <p>When Iraq waited months for a government in 2006, sectarian bloodshed took hold. Some fear history could repeat itself. </p> <p>But Iraq in 2010 is different to Iraq in 2006. </p> <p>The 650,000-plus troops and police Iraq now has have proven to be relatively professional, while not flawless, and capable of battling both Sunni insurgents and Shi’ite militia. </p> <p>Iraqis themselves are tired of war, and less inclined to turn a blind eye to or provide a safe haven for armed groups. </p> <p>Iraq has also signed 10 deals with global oil firms that could turn it into the world’s No. 2 oil producer. </p> <p>The allure of booming oil revenues may persuade many who might otherwise take up arms that it would be more profitable to join the government, than to fight it. </p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120516062701/http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE64E02O.htm" class="external" target="_blank">Reuters AlertNet – SCENARIOS-What happens next in Iraq after Baghdad recount?</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="navigation"> <div class="alignleft"><a 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