The Common Ills: Politics in Iraq and an attack on a journalist

Saturday, September 09, 2017

Politics in Iraq and an attack on a journalist

September 25th, a referendum on Kurdish independence is scheduled to take place. Tim Arango (NEW YORK TIMES) reports on it today:

Numbering about 30 million people spread across four countries – Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran – the Kurds are often described as the world’s largest ethnic group without their own homeland. Iraqi Kurdistan, an oil-rich enclave in northern Iraq, may be their best hope yet.

The referendum’s approval would start the process of turning the autonomous region into an independent state.

But outside of Kurdistan, every major player in the neighborhood opposes the vote, which could break up Iraq and further destabilize a volatile, war-torn region.

He notes the White House's Special Envoy Brett McGurk screeching that this is "hasty."

Hasty?

How many decades make up 'hasty'?

How many times has the US government stabbed the Kurds in the back?

If you've forgotten the answer to that, the first body wound was inflicted by then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

I'm sure an argument could be made in the 1700s that a move for the colonies to break off from England would be 'hasty.'

Change is always scary for some.

This is a matter for the Kurds.

The US government is attempting every trick they can to stop this vote.

It needs to sit imperial ass down.

ALL IRAQ NEWS reports that Iraq's installed prime minister Hayder al-Abadi insisted Friday that the results of the election will not be binding and Baghdad will not recognize the results. And ALSUMARIA notes that KRG President Massoud Barzani has stated he is willing to sacrifice his own political career for this attempt at Kurdish independence.

Though it might harm his standing with the US (it won't, the US government will get in bed with anyone it can use), it will actually make the political fortune of his family.

For decades, it has been the Barzanis and the Talabanis in northern Iraq.

The Talabanis took a huge hit due to Jalal Fat Ass Talabani. He stabbed the Iraqi people in the back by refusing to perform his constitutionally obligated duty to present the no-confidence vote in Parliament (on then prime minister and forever thug Nouri al-Maliki). He was doing the bidding of the US government but betraying the Iraqi people. He also made his ridiculous statement about how Kurdish independence would never come about.

The Talabani family has suffered ever since -- in the last election, Barzani's party came in number one, no surprise. The surprise was the Talabanis came in third -- even the CIA-seed money funded Goran party managed to garner more votes than the Talabanis.

Today, the Kurds are the closest they've ever been to an independent homeland.

All Barzani has to do is stay with this and his family is a winner.

If the vote goes through -- regardless of result -- the Barazni dynasty wins. Massoud will have brought the dream of a Kurdish homeland further than anyone else has.

It's independence but it's also about politics.

On the topic of politics, ALSUMARIA reports that Shi'ite cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr has announced his intent to hold corrupt politicians accountable. His spokesperson Jaffar al-Mousssawi states that reform is not just talk and that a number of politicians will end up publicly embarrassed.

Also on corruption, NINA notes Vice President Ayad al-Allawi has stated that there is a significant decline in farming (from 48 million acres to 12 million) and notes that not only is there a plan to address this decline but that money is being diverted into the hands of the corrupt.

While Moqtada and al-Alawi talk corruption, Nouri runs from the topic. Alsumaria explains Nouri is insisting that politicians need to avoid the issue of corruption (remember when Nouri promised in February 2010 to end corruption?). Focus instead, Nouri insists, on programs to help educate. Interesting because Nouri credits "the previous administration" as doing that. "The previous administration" (a) did not do that and (b) was Nouri's administration.

Early Saturday morning saw the attack on a journalist's home. ALL IRAQ NEWS reports that NINA NEWS AGENCY editor Hiba Hussain's home was attacked around 1:30 am. The house was riddled with bullets, glass was broken and fires were set. Police refused to file a report, ALSUMARIA notes, stating it was too early in the morning for reports to be filed.

War Crimes continue to be noted.

‏ @solvemee

Burning Iraqis alive was an Iraqi army thing, never an ISIS thing, but since US trained #Iraq'i Army, no one was allowed to say anything. 

1 reply24 retweets8 likes

But the big news in Arab social media? The story many outlets are covering -- ALSUMARIA here -- a CIA memorandum from 1955 stating Hitler was alive -- Adolf Hitler -- in 1955 and living in South America. A photo is included in the memorandum -- it carries a microfilmed date of July 26, 2963.

The following community sites updated: