The Common Ills: Where is Nouri?

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Where is Nouri?

If you have a dangerous snake in your yard that you can't or won't kill, you might be able to live with it -- provided you knew where it was.

NINA reports Iraqi Vice President Ayad Allawi met today in Baghdad with Farouk Qaimagja, Turkey's Ambassador to Iraq, while yesterday, in Erbil, Vice President Osama al-Nujaifi met with the head of the Islamic Union of Kurdistan Muhammad Faraj.

And where's Iraq's third vice president?

Yes, Nouri is lazy and, yes, in a bit of a depression he's reportedly attempting to eat his way through.

But the chance to pass up a photo op or easy praise?

Thug Nouri's never been known to shy away from that.

So exactly what is Nouri up to as he slithers through the glass still steaming over being denied a third term as prime minister?

Mu Xuequan (Xinhua) reports on Iraq's current prime minister:

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al- Abadi said Monday that Iraq rejects the presence of foreign ground troops in the country to fight the Islamic State militant group, an al-Qaida offshoot group.
"Abadi renewed rejection of any ground intervention in Iraq," a statement from Abadi office quoted him as saying during a meeting with Australian Defense Minister David Johnston in Baghdad.

Yesterday, al-Abadi arrived in New York for today's special session at the United Nations on Iraq where US President Barack Obama is to chair the special session and argue for more war and more destruction. Not at all surprising at this point.

As Heather Saul (Irish Independent) notes:

Barack Obama, the man many hoped would be the 'peace President' when he entered office, has bombed seven countries during his six years in office.
[. . .]
Since taking office, Mr Obama has launched attacks in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Libya and now Syria.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) estimates the Obama administration has launched more than 390 drone strikes in five years across Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia – eight times as many launched during the entire Bush Presidency.

The following community sites -- plus Antiwar.com -- updated: