Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Jalal really steps in it

As we were noting yesterday, Jalal Talabani's in hot water for making nice with Nouri at the expense of the Kurds and others.  Alsumaria reports that the Kurdistan Alliance has declared they do not support the Iraqi president traveling out of the country (he had planned a trip to the US) and that they are calling on him to respect the no-confidence petition which has 176 signatures (and which they expect to gather more signatures -- the figure they give is 190).  Alliance MP Mahma Khalil  repeats that in April in Erbil (that would be the April 28th meet-up), Jalal stated he could replace Nouri with a no-confidence vote that would leave the rest of the elements of government in place.  If that sounds familiar, it's what Ayad Allawi revealed yesterday.

State of Law is disputing the claim publicly -- of course they would.  Like their American lobbyists, they've never known the Constitution.   We went over this months ago.  And American lobbyists for Nouri went around insisting, 'No way!'  That was about their level of discourse.  They're not really smart.  And they certainly don't grasp a Constitution -- the concept, the way it's used, whether it's a living Constitution, etc.  All those debates they miss.  Jalal had the power.  He still does.  It's doubtful at present he will use it.  But while the lobbyists ignored what was coming for Jalal, we've explained it since Sunday.  

Alsumaria reports that Jalal's now calling for civilized discussions.  Of course, he is.  You would be too if you were Jalal.  You'd be talking about everything but your refusal to forward a list with the necessary number of signatures to the Parliament -- a list you are requeired to forward.  IKf you were Jalal Talabani, besides weighing close to 400 pounds, you would be praying that anything would change the topic. But nothing will.  Not today's violence.  Nothing.  Jalal betrayed the Kurds. And others.  But the Kurds is where his power stemmed from.  He betrayed them and betrayed his political party (PUK).  A failed no-confidence vote in Parliament would not have hurt anyone's standing in the KRG.  It would have demonstarted the leaders were fighters.  Instead, the Kurds saw yet again that Jalal will cater to Nouri, will shirk his responsibilities, will betray his partners and will then act like a fussy priss-pot calling for civilized discussions to distract from his own actions.

What your State of Law lobbyists can't do is tell you the truth.  For some reason, Jane Arraf, Prashant Rao and others feel the need to call and quote these losers -- these perpetually wrong observers.  No one can predict what will happen -- which includes whether Nouri will continue on as prime minister -- but they should be able to respond to 'if X happens what are the possible reactions/'  They can't.  Because they never know what they're talking about.

Anyone paying attention would have grasped quickly that this was another make-it-or-break-it moment for Jalal.  Not unlike that idiotic remark about how there would never be an independent Kurdistan.  That remarks left him wounded and reeling for months.  But the State of Law lobbyists missed that in real time as well.

Today Jalal is calling himself the protector of the Constitution which is a hilarriously mistaken move.  It's so tone deaf that it only compounds the problem by requiring all to recall the way the coward Jalal halted the Constitutional process Saturday night when he announced he'd refuse to forward the list to Parliament as required. 

Each day Jalal makes an ass for himself is another day KRG President Massoud Barzani and his party look better and better in the KRG.  Dar Addustor notes both the criticism of and ill will towards Jalal while reporting that eye witnesses claim Jalal was visited by a convoy of US officials (ten vehicles) who pressured Jalal.


In the US, Senator Patty Murray is the Chair of the Senate's Veterans Affairs Committee.  Her office issued the following yesterday:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Murray Press Office
June 12, 2012 (202) 224-2834
TOMORROW: Murray to Hold Hearing on Pending Economic Opportunity and Transition Legislation
Senator Murray will discuss her GI Bill Consumer Awareness Act and Servicemembers Rights Enforcement Improvement Act
(Washington, D.C.) – Tomorrow, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, will chair a hearing to examine economic opportunity and transition legislation pending before the Committee. Senator Murray will discuss legislation she put forward that addresses the challenge of ensuring veterans have every opportunity to jumpstart their careers when they separate from service and reinforces legal safeguards put in place to assist servicemembers and veterans. The first is the GI Bill Consumer Awareness Act of 2012, a bill designed to give veterans access to information to make informed decisions about utilizing GI Bill benefits. The second bill Murray will discuss is her Servicemembers Rights Enforcement Improvement Act of 2012, which builds on current protections put in place to ease the burdens of deployment and help protect our nation’s heroes from unemployment and foreclosure.
Seven other Senators will also be presenting their bills at the hearing, including legislation to create a Veterans Job Corps to put Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to work. Representatives from VA and members of various Veterans Service Organizations will provide their views on the legislation as well. View the full agenda for tomorrow’s hearing below.
WHO: U.S. Senator Patty Murray
Curtis L. Coy, Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity, Veterans Benefits Administration, Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Tom Tarantino, Deputy Policy Director, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Peter Meijer, Member, Board of Directors, Student Veterans of America
Colonel Robert F. Norton, USA (Ret.), Deputy Director, Government Relations, Military Officers Association of America
WHAT: Hearing focusing on pending legislation on economic opportunity and transition issues
WHEN: TOMORROW: Wednesday, June 13, 2012
10:00 AM ET/7:00 AM PST
WHERE: Russell 418
--------------------
UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
Hearing: Economic Opportunity and Transition Legislation Pending Before the Veterans’ Affairs Committee (June 13, 2012)
S. 3236 (Pryor) Servicemember Employment Protection Act of 2012.
S. 3235 (Pryor) Helping Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Return to Employment at Home Act.
S. 3233 (Casey) Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 2012.
S. 3210 (Brown) Veterans’ Small Business Opportunity Act of 2012.
S. 3179 (Reed) Servicemember Housing Protection Act of 2012.
S. 3082 (Bennet) A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the National Veterans Support Network to carry out activities to support and supplement the mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
S. 2299 (Murray) Servicemembers Rights Enforcement Improvement Act of 2012.
S. 2246 (Boozman) TAP Modernization Act of 2012.
S. 2241 (Murray) GI Bill Consumer Awareness Act of 2012.
S. 2206 (Lautenberg) GI Educational Freedom Act of 2012.
S. 2179 (Webb) Military and Veterans Educational Reform Act of 2012.
S. 2130 (Bill Nelson) Veterans Conservation Corps Authorization Act.
S. 1859 (Akaka) A bill to provide that section 3330a, 3330b, and 3330c of title 5, United States Code, relating to administrative and judicial redress and remedies for preference eligibles, shall apply with respect to the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration.
S. 1852 (Merkley) Spouses of Heroes Education Act.
S. 1798 (T. Udall) Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 2011.
S. 1634 (Tester) A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the approval and disapproval of programs of education for purposes of educational benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
S. 1314 (Tester) A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Labor to establish minimum funding levels for States for the support of disabled veterans' outreach program specialists and local veterans' employment.
S. 1184 (Cantwell) A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the enforcement penalties for misrepresentation of a business concern as a small business concern owned and controlled by veterans or as a small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, and for other purposes.
###
Kathryn Robertson
Press Assistant
Office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray
448 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510
202-224-2834




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