At a September 20th Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the nomination of Robert S. Beecroft to be US Ambassador to Iraq (see that week's Wednesday and Thursday snapshots), Senator John Kerry, Chair of the Committee pressed this issue and made clear that he, like others on the Committee, was frustrated with the use of Iraqi air space to carry goods into Syria. (The Senate, like the White House, believes this is taking place. Nouri al-Maliki's government has consistently denied that it is.) From the hearing.
Chair
John Kerry: Can you share with me an answer to the issue I raised about
the Iranians using American airspace in order to support [Syrian
President Bashar] Assad? What are we doing, what have you been doing --
if anything, to try to limit that use?
Charge d'Affaires Robert S. Beecroft: I have personally engaged on this repeatedly at the highest levels of Iraqi government. My colleagues in Baghdad have engaged on this. We're continuing to engage on it. And every single visitor representing the US government from the Senate, recently three visitors, to administration officials has raised it with the Iraqis and made very clear that we find this unnaceptable and we find it unhelpful and detrimental to the region and to Iraq and, of course -- first and foremost, to the Syrian people. It's something that needs to stop and we are pressing and will continue to press until it does stop.
Chair John Kerry: Well, I mean, it may stop when it's too late. If so many people have entreated the government to stop and that doesn't seem to be having an impact -- uh, that sort of alarms me a little bit and seems to send a signal to me: Maybe -- Maybe we should make some of our assistance or some of our support contingent on some kind of appropriate response? I mean it just seems completely inappropriate that we're trying to help build their democracy, support them, put American lives on the line, money into the country and they're working against our interest so overtly -- against their own interests too -- I might add.
Charge d'Affaires Robert S. Beecroft: Senator, Senator, I share your concerns 100%. I'll
continue to engage. And, with your permission, I will make very clear to the Iraqis what you've said to me today -- and that is you find it alarming and that it may put our assistance and our cooperation on issues at stake.
Chair John Kerry: Well I think that it would be very hard. I mean, around here, I think right now there's a lot of anxiety about places that seem to be trying to have it both ways. So I wish you would relay that obviously and I think that members of the Committee would -- would want to do so.
While Committee Chair Kerry and the entire Senate Foreign Relations Committee were on this, State Dept spokesperson Victoria Nuland would rush to publicly distance the State Dept from the Committee.
Maybe John Kerry and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, not the administration, should have been put in charge of Iraq and not the administration. There the only ones who seem to be functioning at a mature and diplomatic level.
Whether the searches are sincere or not, Nouri al-Maliki got the Committee's message that he better start making an effort. The administration has been incredibly ineffective on the issue of Iraq. When they have decided to do something, they've sided against the Iraqi people.
Amanda Antell (Daily Barometer) reports on a lecture Maj Gen Jeff Buchanan gave last week:
"We didn’t have a good idea of Iraqi culture. The process of an election wasn’t established, [nor was] an idea of their values or culture," Buchanan said.
The Iraqi people had been forced to live a certain way, and it didn’t change overnight. The values of free election and press are starting to take hold; however, the biggest contribution actually goes to the Western media, which showed the Iraqi government the media could be trusted.
Antell reports that Buchanan also declared that mistakes have to be admitted to. So he might try -- especially when he's talking about trust -- to stop lying. In 2010, the White House sided with second place Nouri al-Maliki, ignoring the will of the Iraqi people and sending the message that their votes didn't matter. Iraqiya came in first. They should have had first shot at forming a government.
From John Barry's "'The Engame' Is A Well Researched, Highly Critical Look at U.S. Policy in Iraq" (The Daily Beast):
As Michael Gordon and Bernard Trainor charge in their ambitious new history of the Iraq war, The Endgame, Obama's administration sacrificed political influence by failing in 2010 to insist that the results of Iraq's first proper election be honored: "When the Obama administration acquiesced in the questionable judicial opinion that prevented Ayad Allawi's bloc, after it had won the most seats in 2010, from the first attempt at forming a new government, it undermined the prospects, however slim, for a compromise that might have led to a genuinely inclusive and cross-sectarian government."
Even if the US was bound and determined to have Nouri get a second term, they could have backed the effort to go forward (Nouri dug in his heels -- with the White House backing -- and created an 8 month political stalemate). They could have said, "The Constitution must be followed, the results honored." They could have then worked behind the scenes to ensure that Ayad Allawi (leader of Iraqiya) was not able to form a government in 30 days. A prime minister-designate is named and then has 30 days to form a Cabinet. If he or she fails to do that in 30 days, another prime minister-designate is named. Meaning, they could have backed the process, backed the Constitution and still rigged things so that Nouri could have a second term. Considering the divisions, it would have been very likely that Allawi couldn't have formed a government -- especially with the US government spreading 'influence' around the way they did to get support for Nouri.
I'm not recommending that they should have done that. I am saying that if they wanted to rig the process to keep Nouri -- as they wanted and as they ended up doing -- they could have done it in such a way that still honored the Constitution or at least gave the appearence of doing so.
Instead, they send the message that the will of the people didn't matter, the Iraqi Constitution didn't matter and that voting didn't matter. If Buchanan wants to talk about honesty and the need for the government to admit mistakes, then mistakes need to be admitted or it's just empty lip service.
Bonnie reminds that Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Campaigning" went up last night.
On this week's Law and Disorder Radio, an hour long program that airs Monday mornings at 9:00 a.m. EST on WBAI and around the country throughout the week, hosted by attorneys Heidi Boghosian, Michael S. Smith and Michael Ratner (Center for Constitutional Rights) topics addressed include Dick Cheney and qualified immunity, NYPD's forcing Mosque Crawler to become an informant, professor Al McCoy on the Bully Boy Bush and Barack administrations use of torture and the NLG's Urszula Masny-Latos on police spying in Boston.
Lastly, Salem-News.com has partnered with ipresspro.com:
IPressPro.com Will Connect Authors, Musicians and Artists with Web Traffic
Salem-News.com
Finally, a way for struggling authors, artists
and musicians to be sure their message is carried by an established online news
group.
 |
(BOSTON) - Authors and musicians wanted it, now it
is here. For a small investment, you are guaranteed to have your press release
published by a high traffic news agency, not just 'sent' to one. (http://ipresspro.com/ipresspro.com/Welcome.html)
You've dedicated your life toward completing your
new book; now it is time to show it to the world and there are so many
questions! You know that without promotions there are few sales; here's the
answer: you need your book release published on a highly ranked Website that will keep your story in place for good;
not a month or a week.
Authors, Musicians, Artists
People spend hundreds on PR promotion but there is
no guarantee that the release about your book or music will be published by a
highly visited #5 - #6 ranked site on Google, that is until now.
For only $199 we guarantee your release will be
published by a U.S. online newspaper that covers war, human rights, civil rights
and a hundred other subjects of vital importance with a team of 100+ writers in
more than 25 countries. The information you want people to see will be published
along with hard hitting news.
Add Interview with Award-Winning Journalist
For an additional $99, an award-winning journalist
will interview you (Interviews conducted via email) and this will be included
with your release, which will include relevant contact information along with
buy links to your products, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc. Also, we will
include a photo of your book or music album cover and a relevant video clip.
Your Success is Our Success
Book and music
marketing with ipresspro.com, will let the World hear and see your art
through Ipresspro.com, etc.
- ipresspro.com is an idea whose time has come; a website for
writers and other artists to make the public aware of the existence of quality
non-mainstream work that gets little attention simply because the cost of making
it availability before the public is too great. The Salem-News is to be
congratulated for initiating this new cost-cutting service for creative people
to reach their appropriate audience.—Agron Belica, author and
musician
- When I first learned of the inauguration of the ipresspro.com website and the services that it provides
writers and other artists, I thought it is about time! Thanks to the initiative
of the Salem-News, we will have an easier and more economical way to bring our
wares to the public so that we can spend more time on creating and less on
marketing, thanks to ipresspro.com and
the Salem-News!
—Jay R. Crook, Ph.D., author, translator, editor
- "I recieved with special personal pleasure the news of ipresspro.com and
Salem-News Boston Bureau Chief’s appointment. These are the best representatives
the company can hope for. I look forward to exciting and real news reporting in
these days of presidential elections. Good luck!" Professor Mahmoud
Ayoub Ph.D.Recipient of the 2012 distinguished Scholar Award by
IIIT
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/october132012/mahmoud-ayoub-ab.php
- "I've been wondering for years how someone can bridge the gap between an
important message and a receptive audience. These authors and artists and
musicians spend so much money hiring PR firms that simply send their message out to
media, but have no guarantee it will ever be published or carried or seen by a
substantial group. Now that guarantee is finally here." Tim King,
Award-Winning Journalist, News Editor of Salem-News.com
- At Better Business Bureau (BBB), consumer protection is our goal and we
sincerely appreciate Salem-News' and ipresspro.coms’ efforts in fraud
prevention. We would like to extend a warm thank you for your continued
commitment to educating the public about scams and other issues affecting our
marketplace. Thank you so much and have a wonderful day. Kyle
Kavas
Oregon Public Relations Manager
Some business ideas can be dismissed, this one can't
because nothing like it has ever existed and there is no better way to promote
their work than by having it published on a ranking Website online.
We are glad to offer a simplified shortcut to better
enhance your visibility online.
Our team at ipresspro.com will include minor editing in this
package and polish up your press release for news submission.
Need your news release written?
Write to: editoripresspro@gmail.com
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
iraq the windsor star the voice of russia the daily barometer amanda antell alrafidayn
wbai
law and disorder radio
michael s. smith
heidi boghosian
michael ratner
iraq
iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraqiraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq
iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraqiraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq
iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraqiraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq
iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq
