Today., ALJAZEERA offered the following report.
Seven months? Closer to eight. Elections were held October 10th. We're less than two weeks away from the eight month mark.
And the Iraqi Court has declared -- to no real surprise -- that this 'holdover' government is limited in what it can do because the prime minister's term has expired and it is not the role of a 'caretaker' government to bind an incoming government with longterm plans.
The prime minister, a Shi'ite as is the tradition and custom, is deeply unpopular with . . . Shi'ites. A week ago, he attempted to attend the funeral of an acclaimed Iraqi poet when he found himself booed, pelted and forced to leave the funeral.
The world just looks off in the distance and pretends like nothing's happening. From time to time, it will pay attention long enough to hiss at the Kurds -- insisting that it's their fault. See, that usually works, guilting the Kurds usually works.
Hopefully, that's no longer the case. Since Henry Kissinger was Secretary of State, Kurdish leaders have allowed the US government to manipulate them.
If they're ever to achieve anything -- let alone an independent Kurdish homeland -- they're going to have to stop getting suckered by the US government again and again.
There is a legitimate beef between the KDP and the PUK. Since the 2005, the president of Iraq has gone to a Kurd. Every time it has been a member of the PUK. In the last ten years, the PUK has ceased to be an equal rival of the KDP. The KDP has proven to be much more popular than the PUK in election cycle after election cycle. The KDP feels that they should get the presidency of Iraq. That's not an unreasonable request. 17 years and counting and it's always been the PUK.
In other news, ARAB NEWS reports:
A restaurant has collapsed in central Baghdad, state media said Sunday, with some people reportedly still trapped inside.
Iraqi civil defense did not comment on any casualties.
But it said initial information indicated that a gas leak at the restaurant led to the blast.
It is thought that people are trapped inside.
