Monday, August 15, 2016

US troops on Mosul airbase and a new Oil Minister in Baghdad

Iran's FARS NEWS AGENCY reports:


Tens of US soldiers arrived in the recently-liberated al-Qayara airbase in Southern Mosul, Iraqi sources said on Monday. Al-Ma'louma news website quoted informed sources as saying that the military men entered al-Qayara in Nineveh province at midnight. The exact number of the US forces deployed at the airbase has remained confidential.


US troops in Iraq, let's all pretend to look away because it's an election year, right?


Barack's special envoy Brett McGurk would rather direct your attention elsewhere:



Welcome confirmation by 's parliament today of five new cabinet ministers, overcoming months of deadlock. Important step forward.



The fact that a new Cabinet wasn't needed is something we're all supposed to ignore.

Even Nouri al-Maliki didn't try to re-write the Constitution by attempting to toss out an entire Cabinet in the middle of a term.


REUTERS notes the new Oil Minister:

Iraq's new oil minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi on Monday said a solution to the Iraqi government's conflict over oil with the Kurdish self-ruled region was possible.

"There are solutions to the existing problems between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government about the oil file," he told Baghdad-based Sumaria TV.


When did Adil Abdul-Mahdi resign?

I'm confused.

I don't believe he did.

I believe he cited corruption -- rampant corruption -- in March as why he was suspending his involvement in the Cabinet.

Suspending, not resigning.


Adil, a Shi'ite, had been vice president of Iraq.

He served in Nouri's first term.

And he served for some of Nouri's second term.

That's the term that Nouri told protesters to give him 100 days and he'd end corruption.

Nouri wasn't serious, he just wanted to stop the protests.

100 days came and went and there was no plan to end corruption nor any attempt.

That's when Adil resigned as Vice President in protest of the ongoing corruption.

Not really sure that's someone you want to lose as a Cabinet member if you truly want to end corruption.



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