Saturday, September 20, 2008

THIS JUST IN! BITTER SWEET SWEETIE!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE
 
 
WHEN REACHED FOR COMMENT, SENATOR SWEETIE BARACK OBAMA RAGED, "NOBODY FACT CHECKS BARACK OBAMA!  BARACK OBAMA IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAVE THE COUNTRY! BARACK OBAMA IS ALLOWED TO LIE!  BARACK OBAMA GETS A MEDIA PASS ALWAYS!"
 
WHEN ASKED IF HE WAS AWARE HE WAS REFERRING TO HIMSELF IN THE THIRD PERSON, BARACK EXPLAINED HE WAS CALLING HIMSELF BARACK OBAMA ONLY BECAUSE HE THOUGHT IT WAS "TOO SOON" TO BEGIN CALLING HIMSELF "BARACK CHRIST."
 
"THAT COMES NEXT MONTH," HE EXPLAINED.
 
 
 
At the US State Dept today, deputy spokesperson Sean McCormack announced US Secretary of State Condi Rice was meeting with the Prime Minister and President of Kuwait "to talk about regional issues" and to "encourage the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Iraq and Kuwait."  Asked about the status of the treaty between the US and Iraq (wrongly called a SOFA) McCormack fell back on, "I'm not going to talk about the substance of the negotiations.  They continue.  There have been a lot of ups and downs in these negotiations.  But we still believe that we will be able to come to some agreement."  US troops are currently legally covered by a United Nations mandate which expires at the end of the year.  When that expires, if nothing is in place to replace it, as US Senator Joe Biden (also the Democratic vice presidential nominee) declared in a Senate session in April, then US troops would have to leave.  McCormack was asked about instead of attempting a new agreement, attempting to yet again extend the UN mandate.  McCormack dismissed the idea and stated, "The focus is still on getting an agreement between the United States and Iraq."  McCormack stated that the State Dept's David M. Satterfield would be returning to Iraq ("leaving again Monday" for Iraq).  Satterfield's title is Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and Coordinator for Iraq.
 
While McCormack's trip will focus mainly on the treaty, it's part of a diplomatic push on the part of the State Dept in the final days of the current administration.  Rice trip is part of that push.  In recent weeks, Syria, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have all appointed ambassadors to Iraq; however, only the UAE has stationed their Ambassador to Iraq in Baghdad.  (The continued violence has prevented the other countries from doing so.)
 
The push comes as puppet of the occupation Nouri al-Maliki makes noises against the treaty.  As Tina Susman (Los Angeles Times) reported yesterday and also on Wednesday (see Wednesday's "Iraq snapshot"), al-Maliki went on Iraqi TV Wednesday   Steven Lee Myers and Sam Dagher (New York Times) discover the remarks today and report that al-Maliki declares the sticking point is over immunity for American troops in Iraq and that al-Maliki floated the idea of asking for an extension of the UN mandate declaring, "Even if we ask for an extension, then we will ask for it according to our terms and we will attach conditions and the U.S. side will refuse.  U.S. forces would be without legal cover and will have no choice but to pull out from Iraq or stay and be in contravention of international law."
 
While al-Maliki raises that issue, one-time (and possibly current) CIA asset Ahmad Chalibi makes news.  As one of the proponents (and liars) in the lead up to the illegal war, Chalabi continues to garner attention.  UPI reports that he declared to the Islamic Republic News Agency that the treaties being proposed between the US and Iraq are an attempt by the US to push permanent bases.  He is quoted stating, "Within the framework of the security pact, the United States does not wish to merely have open military bases (in Iraq), rather secret military bases (there). If a security deal is not signed … by Dec. 31, regarding the recent U.S.-Russia row over Georgia and the Iraqi government's decision not to extend the U.S. forces' presence in Iraq for another year, the U.S. presence in Iraq will come across with difficulty in terms of the law."
 
 
 
Turning to the US Congress, Senators Hillary Clinton (Democrat) and John Ensign (Republican) are proposing a plan regarding Iraq's oil to the US State Dept.  Ben Lando (UPI) reports that the two senators are proposing that an oil trust fund be created for the Iraqi people and quotes an aide to Clinton explaining the proposal is similar to the Alaska model which "was 'inspiration for the idea of an oil trust' but that the State Department 'should develop a plan for Iraq so it fits Iraq's needs and provides several options'."  Lando reports the State Dept's reaction: "The department said Iraqi leaders don't feel the time is right for such a trust fund, which demands too much from Iraq's fragile bureaucratic and financial systems."  Lando adds that actions "continue to repair damage from storms in southern Iraq and a pipeline bomb in northern Iraq, bringing exports closer to the 1.9 million barrels per day averaged in August" and that an October 13th oil meeting will take place in London that "is expected to unveil the fields put to tender and the legal and technical specifics. The bidding for the fields is expected to be the first of many opportunities for international investment in Iraq's oil sector."
 
NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro (All Things Considered) reports on the move for Baghdad's puppet government to take control of "Awakening" Councils next month with "at least 20 percent of the militiamen [due to be brought into] into the state security forces and find civilian jobs for the rest" and the reaction to the Sunnis about that plan which has left them suspicious following the targeting of Sunni "Awakening" leaders by al-Maliki. "Awakening" leader  Khalid  Ibrahim declares, "They [the US] should have consulted us before taking any decisions so we could have given our opinion. Instead they have treated us like a commodity that can be moved at will from one place to another. . . . The aim is to get rid of us. Why? Because of the upcoming provincial elections and then national elections. They fear that we will get power."  The provincial elections were due to take place this month; however, the inability to comes to terms with a basic agreement makes it unlikely that any elections will take place before year's end.  The United Nations is working on a proposal which they hope to present either by the end of this month or the start of October.
 
 

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