The KRG is in northern Iraq. Al Mada reports that KRG President Massoud Barzani called, on his Facebook page, for the Kurdish politicians to come together for the good of the Kurdish population as they attempt to secure more rights. The KRG sent a delegation to meet with Nouri recently and the visit went very well for the Kurds. Nouri al-Maliki is supposed to travel to Erbil in the coming weeks for another meeting. National Iraqi News Agency reveals that the Kurdish blocs met today and agred upon the importance of "previous agreements" being implemented "especially the agreement of Arbil."
We have covered The Erbil Agreement at length (most recently the April 25th snapshot). The March 2010 elections found Iraqiya in the lead, beating Nouri's State of Law. Per the Constitution, that meant Iraqiya had first crack. Nouri first tried to reveal a surprise 'finding' by the Baghdad court he controls: Despite what the Constitution says, the court insisted that the 'winner' of the election could also be the group that formed an alliance first that gave it the most votes. Though the western press (as always) humored Nouri, no one in Iraq bought it. Which is why Nouri stamped his feet and refused to step down.
He got away with that because the White House backed him. They eventually brokered The Erbil Agreement. Nouri had brought the country to a standstill for eight months, like a spoiled child in need of punishment. Instead, he got rewarded by the US government.
The Erbil Agreement was a legal contract that went around the Constitution of Iraq, it gave Nouri a second term in exchange for agreed upon concessions from Nouri to the various political blocs.
Nouri used The Erbil Agreement to be named prime minister-designate in November 2010. He then trashed the agreement. At first, he insisted it would be a few weeks. Then weeks became months and Nouri never said a word about it anymore. The protesters raised the issue in February 2011. By the summer of 2011, the Kurds, Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqiya were all demanding Nouri implement the legal contract he'd signed in November of 2010. That still has not happened.
This is not a minor issue to a large number of Iraqis and today's meet-up of Kurd politicians makes it clear that the Kurds are not about to drop this issue. (Nor should they.)
Jalal Talabani is the President of Iraq. He's also a Kurd. Monday All Iraq News reported, "The delegation of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, headed by the Iraqi President's wife Hero Ibrahim Ahmed Talabani, met with the Secretary General of the Iranian National Security, Saeed Jalili, [to discuss] the latest political developments in Iraq." Iraqi President Jalal Talabani suffered a stroke. The incident took place late on December 17th (see the December 18th snapshot) and resulted in Jalal being admitted to Baghdad's Medical Center Hospital. Thursday, December 20th, he was moved to Germany. He remains in Germany currently.
Today All Iraq News reports that Jalal's medical team insists that there has been no change in his condition. I have no idea what that means. Generally, when a statement like that is issued, it's to quell talk (real or false rumors) that a patient has taken a turn for the worse. The Iraqi press has not had any such rumors about Jalal. Why the medical team has elected to issue a statement that Jalal's condition remains the same is a mystery. However, National Iraqi News Agency reports that she has no designs on the presidency and that there was no "talk, during her visit to Tehran, about replacement for the presidency of the Republic of Iraq" or even for someone else to head the PUK (Jalal currently is the Secretary General of the party). She stated today that her visit was nothing more than honoring a formal request for a meeting which the Islamic Republic of Iran had made.
Should Jalal Talabani recover, will there be an Iraq for him to return to? With all of the crises that Nouri has created (which includes Jalal's stroke, Nouri had a loud argument with Jalal at Jalal's office that Jalal ended before seeking medical treatment), who knows? More bad news for Nouri. Dar Addustour notes that Global Finance has ranked Iraq the third poorest Arab country (behind Yemen and Sudan). For 2012, Global Finance found the Middle East and North African countries averaged $10,188.35 in Gross Domestic Product at Purchasing Power Parity (dollar figures are in international dollars). Which the magazine explains, "GDP (PPP) compares generalized difference in living standards on the whole between nations because PPP takes into account the relative cost of living and the inflation of countries, rather than using just exchange rates, which may distort the real differences in income. Iraq was below that average with $4,271.60.
On the political front, All Iraq News notes Ammar al-Hakim (head of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq) traveled to Najaf today to meet with cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr. Yesterday, the Iraq Times reported on a study by the University of Brussels which found that Nouri al-Maliki, chief thug and prime minister of Iraq, has a higher annual salary than any of the royals or heads of state around the world. (Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi has the lowest salary according to the study.) Alsumaria reports Nouri's spokesperson Ali al-Moussawi insists that the report and study are innaccurate and that Nouri 'only' makes about 35 million dinars a month ($30,000 in US dollars). That would place Nouri at $360,000 a year in US dollars. Whether it's true or not is debatable. In February 2011, protesters were demanding Nouri release information about his salary. He gave them the run around and never managed to do so. $360,000 a year while so many Iraqis live in poverty?
US Senator Patty Murray is the Chair of the Senate Budget Committee and serves on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Yesterday, her office issued the following:
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Murray Press Office (202)
224-2834
Tuesday, May
7, 2013 Ayotte Press Office (202)
224-3324
Murray, Ayotte Introduce Bill to Combat Military Sexual
Assault
**Murray/Ayotte to speak on Senate floor at
approximately 2:45PM ET today**
Of the estimated 19,000 cases of military
sexual assault in 2011, 3,192 were reported
That number rose to
26,000 cases in 2012, with 3,374 reported
Bill would provide greater victim resources
while improving current DoD prevention programs
(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, as the Pentagon’s annual report on sexual assault showed an
alarming increase in cases, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Kelly Ayotte
(R-NH) introduced the Combating Military
Sexual Assault (MSA) Act of 2013. In an
effort to reduce sexual assaults within the military and help the victims of
this crime, the Combating MSA Act would address a number of gaps within current
law and policy and build upon the positive steps the U.S. Department of Defense
(DoD) has taken in recent years. According to DoD estimates, there were about
19,000 cases of military sexual assault in 2011 alone. Of these, 3,192 were
reported, leaving thousands of victims to face the aftermath alone as their
assailants escape justice. That number rose to 26,000 cases in 2012 with less
than 3,400 of those cases being reported.
“When our
best and our brightest put on a uniform and join the United States Armed Forces,
they do so with the understanding that they will sacrifice much in the name of
defending our country and its people. However, it’s unconscionable to think that
entertaining unwanted sexual contact from within the ranks is now part of that
equation,” said Senator
Murray. “Not only are we subjecting
our men and women to this disgusting epidemic, but we’re also failing to provide
the victims with any meaningful support system once they have fallen victim to
these attacks. And while I applaud recent efforts by the Department of Defense
to turn the tide on this mounting crisis, we must do more to root out the
culture that fosters this behavior and provide substantive assistance to those
who face these tragedies alone. I am proud to join Senator Ayotte in introducing
the Combating Military Sexual Assault Act, to reverse this trend and establish
the necessary means for victims to take action against their attackers. It’s
inexcusable for us to wait any longer to address this issue and I’m glad this
bipartisan legislation is taking meaningful steps to do right by our nation’s
heroes.”
“The United
States continues to have the best military in the world—primarily because of the
character, quality, and courage of our men and women in uniform. But when a
service member fails to live up to our values and commits sexual assault, we
must ensure the victims have the support they need and the perpetrators face
justice. Sexual assault presents a serious threat to the morale, discipline,
and readiness of our armed forces,” said Senator Ayotte. “I look forward
to working with DoD, Senator Murray, and my Senate colleagues to strengthen
existing laws and policies so that all victims can come forward without fear of
retribution and with confidence that they will receive the support, care, and
justice they deserve.”
The
Combating MSA Act would:
· Provide
victims of sexual assault with Special Victims’ Counsel (SVC) – a military
lawyer who will assist sexual assault victims throughout the process.
· Enhance
the responsibilities and authority of DoD’s Sexual Assault Prevention and
Response (SAPR) Office so that it can better oversee efforts to combat MSA
across the Armed Forces and regularly track and report on a range of MSA
statistics, including assault rate, number of cases brought to trial, and
compliance with appropriate laws and regulations within each of the individual
services.
· Refer
cases to the general court martial level when sexual assault charges are filed
or to the next superior competent authority when there is a conflict of interest
in the immediate chain of command.
· Bar
sexual contact between instructors and trainees during and within 30 days of
completion of basic training or its equivalent.
· Ensure
that Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARC) are available to members of the
National Guard and Reserve at all times and regardless of whether they are
operating under Title 10 or Title 32 authority.
Last month,
Senator Murray
questioned the Honorable Ray Mabus,
Secretary of the Navy, and General James Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps,
about the alarming rate of reported sexual assaults within the Marine Corps. In
the coming weeks, Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) will introduce companion
legislation to the Combating MSA Act in the House of Representatives. During a
Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee hearing in March, Senator Ayotte
questioned DoD officials about a January report released by the Government Accountability Office
(GAO) that identified problems in ensuring
proper care for servicemembers who are victims of sexual assault. Senator Ayotte is a former prosecutor who has worked extensively with victims.
During her time as New Hampshire's Attorney General, she chaired the Governor's
Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence.
###
---
Meghan Roh
Press Secretary | New Media
Director
Office of U.S. Senator Patty
Murray
Mobile: (202) 365-1235
Office: (202) 224-2834
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
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