The Common Ills: Who's in Iraq?

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Who's in Iraq?

In New York today, NINA notes, Iraq's Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari met up with the Danish Foreign Minister Martin Legurd. And Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is in New York today for the United Nations' General Assembly.

Iraq's President Fuad Masum didn't arrive in New York today. Because he was already there. All Iraq News notes he arrived on Monday.

With so much of the government out of the country, maybe it's good that Iraq now has three vice presidents?

Of course, with Nouri al-Maliki being one, that means the other two, Osama al-Nujaafi and Ayad Allawi, must spend the bulk of their time ensuring Nouri's not carrying out a coup.

Two Iraqi officials who aren't in New York? The Minister of Defense and the Minister of Interior.

They're not in New York but that's mainly due to the fact that those two posts have still not been filled.

Nothing like leaving the security posts empty to scream, "We are committed to fighting the Islamic State!"

All Iraq News reports MP Hamid al-Khudhari states these positions must be filled and that "there must be Ministers to run the security file." Meanwhile Nouri's State of Law coalition is whining because they want Hadi al-Amiri to be the nominee and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has not nominated al-Amiri. MP Salah al-Jubouri tells NINA, "There is a need to name the ministers of defense and interior, because of the security problems in the country, whichmakes it imperative for the Prime Minister to resolve this file in nearest opportunity." He notes Parliament begins a 2 week vacation starting September 26th and he doesn't expect the positions to be filled until after the break.

With rumors that the United Kingdom's about to join France and the US in bombing Iraq, there's apparently no rush for Iraq to prepare their own defense team and plan, let alone put people in charge of executing it.

Maybe the lack of a Minister of Defense goes to the Iraqi army refusing to obey the prime minister's orders? Two Saturdays ago he ordered an end to the bombing of residential areas in Falluja. These bombings have still not stopped. NINA reports:

Anbar Provincial Council called PM, Haider Abadi to bring to accountability the security leaders who did not abide the decision taken by Abadi to stop the indiscriminate shelling.
Member of Anbar Council said to the reporter of the National Iraqi News Agency / Nina / : ' Security leaders did not abide by the decision of the General Commander of the Armed Forces, Haider al-Abadi, who announced a few days ago to stop the indiscriminate shelling of cities and residential areas [. . .]

All these countries rushing in to 'help' and yet the Iraqi military refuses to follow the orders of the prime minister who is their commander in chief.

The following community sites -- plus Antiwar.com and Black Agenda Report -- updated: