The Common Ills: Iraq falls over the cliff as Nouri lets the crazy loose

Saturday, December 01, 2012

Iraq falls over the cliff as Nouri lets the crazy loose

Saturday's big news in Iraq is Nouri al-Maliki. Al Mada reports the prime minister made a public statement today in which he attacked Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds, stated that those attempting to withdraw confidence for him should be warned and floated "arrests" as part of his threats.

It's a very disturbing speech.

Probably the most disturbing thing about it is that no English language outlet is covering it.

In the speech he makes a demand that everyone attend a meet-up. All Iraq News notes that the Kurdistan Alliance has RSVP-ed already: They won't be attending Sunday's meeting. They issued a statement explaining Nouri has refused to be practical and resolve the crisis (he created). While the Kurds willingly met with Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi in good faith, Nouri blew off the exchange. When the Iraqi military and the Peshmerga came up with a 14-point plan to resolve the latest crisis (created by Nouri), Nouri said it would not be allowed.

Dar Addustour adds that Nouri declared in his speech that the Kurds don't believe in the Constitution and that efforts at a no-confidence vote in him will be met by actions that have never been taken before. In addition, he announced he wants to arrest members of Parliament who raised the torture of Iraqi women in prisons.

Repeating, he wants them arrested.

He also made a number of statements involving President Jalal Talabani which appear to be that the same people who put him (Nouri) in power put Jalal in power and if Nouri goes down so does Jalal.

The Kurdistan Alliance also sent a messae to the religious authorities in Najaf explaining the deteriorating situation and their proposals for addressing it. All Iraq News notes that Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi is set to visit Erbil for talks tomorrow and is expected to be accompanied by a member (or members) of Moqtada al-Sadr's political bloc.

Where is the American press?

You'd think they might be filing on something other than Syrian flights over Iraq -- yet that's the only story a US outlet has filed on Iraq in the last 24 hours (New York Times filed that).

Repeating: Where is the American press as Little Saddam attempts to kick up his tyranny another notch? Are they again ignoring realities?

Are they licking their wounds over that Alsumaria article this week about how American reporters refuse to do investigative reporting in Iraq? Did that truth hurt? Did it shame them that Iraqi journalists are now comfortable calling out American 'reporters' for their whorish ways?

The following community sites -- plus Jane Fonda, Susan's On the Edge, Tavis Smiley, the ACLU, NPR Music, PRI, Chocolate City and On The Wilder Side -- updated today: