Wednesday, January 16, 2013

THIS JUST IN! HE EXPLAINS THE CABINET!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE

PRINCESS BARRY O SAYS THE GALS NEED TO PIPE DOWN AND LET HIM BE.

"I APPOINT BASED ON QUALIFICATIONS," HE TOLD THESE REPORTERS LAST NIGHT AT THE  CLUB TUSH.  "THE CHIEF QUALIFICATION BEING: 'DO YOU HAVE A PENIS?'  IT'S NOT MY FAULT IF THE GIRLS CAN'T KEEP UP."

"I DON'T THINK THE GIRLS GET ME," PRINCESS BARRY CONTINUED.  "I'M A MACHO MAN.  LIKE SOMETIMES I GO NEARLY A WHOLE DAY BETWEEN MANICURES.  SOMETIMES I FORGO CLEAR NAIL POLISH EVEN.  AND UNLESS MY LIPS ARE A GHASTLY SHADE OF PURPLE, I DON'T ALWAYS WEAR LIPSTICK.  I DON'T THINK THE GIRLS GET HOW MANLY I AM AND HOW I NEED TO BE WITH ANOTHER MEN, NEAR THEM, CLOSE TO THEM, IN THEIR MANLY ARMS."



FROM THE TCI WIRE: 


 
While we're on the Sunday chat and chews, Iraq was briefly mentioned on Face The Nation (CBS News) when host Bob Schieffer spoke with Senator John McCain -- here for video, here for transcript.
 
SCHIEFFER: And, good morning, again. And we're going to begin with the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, Senator John McCain. Senator, thanks for being with us this morning. Well, the president made it pretty clear on Friday, we're leaving Afghanistan, and perhaps sooner than some expected. And every report you hear from behind the scenes is, we're going to keep very, very few people there. What do you make of this? What's your take on all of this?
 
 
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: Well, it's a one of a series of decisions the president has made basically overruling his military advisers. So whether it be in Iraq, which is now unraveling very significantly, or whether it be the decisions about a surge and how many and how soon they leave. There's a series of decisions, all of which the president and the vice president have overruled our military leaders and their advice and counsel, which is the president's right to do. But each time I believe that it has ensured the risk of failure. I think there's a very, very great risk now that with the president's announcement that they are basically going to be out, that the Afghans will not be able to effectively counter what still remains a significant Taliban and significantly discordant situation in both Afghanistan and across the border in Pakistan. So I think you are probably going to see an unraveling gradually. I think you're going to be -- there's only one Iraq -- Afghan brigade that is capable of acting independently. These forces need air support, intelligence, all of the kinds of logistics and other support that is necessary to be effective. Fighting forces, they're not going to have that, and so I am much less than optimistic about this eventual outcome. But when you look at the Middle East, look at what has happened at Iraq, look at what has happened in Syria, the United States no longer leading from behind, waiting from behind. And then you look at the decisions concerning Afghanistan, you can understand why people throughout the region believe the United States is withdrawing, and that is not good for the region.
 
 
Iraq is falling apart.  Making a list of predictions for the year last week, Kevin Coyne (Policy Mic) placed Iraq on top of his list of "The Doomed" countries -- at the top:
 
1) Iraq: Better known to most Americans these days as "NotOurProblemAnymoreistan," Iraq is in for one rough year – which is really saying something. The federal system set up following the U.S. invasion is splitting apart at the country's regional and sectarian seams, and upcoming provincial elections in the spring will only exacerbate tensions.
In recent weeks, a national protest movement against the ineffective Shia Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has spread, but frustration with the status quo is about the only unifying element among the Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish elements taking part. In 2013, expect the rift between the cash-strapped government in Baghdad and the oil-rich autonomous Kurdish region in the North to reach a breaking point. Also, while much is said of the Sunni-Shia divide, keep an eye on rifts within the Shia majority, which may not only cast out Maliki, but also topple the regime and send everyone back to the streets to "re-negotiate" the political order…
 
 
As Iraq falls apart the White House -- out of guilt or stupidity -- doesn't even try to take part in the conversation.  That's great.  They'll allow John McCain to define the terms of the discussion.  And they'll allow various other interested parties to define the terms.
 
One terms Iraqis are being exposed to these days is "division."  That the US government wants (again wants) to divide Iraq into three parts.  Saturday, the Ahlul Bayt News Agency reported:
 
According to this source, who spoke in condition of anonymity, the objective of the meetings was fulfillment of some Iraqi political figures, namely the declaration of a Sunny Autonomous Region in Iraq.
"Topics of the meeting between Iraqi political figures and US officials were declaration of independence in Al-Anbar, Mosul, Saladin, and Diyala provinces," he added.
 
Today the Iraq Times reports that the US wants to divide Iraq into three parts and sees that as the best answer to the country's ongoing crises.   Those aren't the only articles covering this rumor.  Many articles note Vice President Joe Biden once proposed a federation (three independent parts making up Iraq).  You'd think someone at the White House would be in charge of following what's being said in the media and that they'd have some sort of response to it.  You'd think that, maybe hope for it.  But they just don't care.
 
 
Through Sunday, January 13th, Iraq Body Count counts 116 people killed in Iraq by violence for the month so far.   That comes to almost nine deaths every day.  The violence the Iraq War brought to the country continues.  Alsumaria notes an attack on a Mosul polling station which left 1 security guard dead and another injured, the corpse of a 17-year-old girl was found tossed in the streets in Mosul, and a Mosul car bombing injured one member of the Dawa Party (Nouri al-Maliki's political party).  In addition, they report a Mosul roadside bombing left one Iraqi soldier injured, a funeral 20 kilometers south of Tikrit was targeted with a bombing that left five people injured,  a Mosul armed attack left 1 person shot dead and a Baquba car bombing left 3 people dead and four more injured.    In addition, CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq Tweeted this incident of violence:
 
8h
3 roadside bombs exploded in #Kadhimiya Shiite district in #Baghdad #Iraq and killed a bystander. Nine other people were wounded.
Expand
 
That's 7 dead and twenty injured and we're not done with today's violence.
 
Alsumaria also reports that Iraqiya MP Aifan al-Issawi was killed by a suicide bomber in Falluja.
A year ago, Aifan al-Issawi was describing the situation in Iraq to Sam Dagher (Wall St. Journal, January 16, 2012) as, "We are preoccupied with how we can finish each other off."  Today he is dead.  Along with being an MP for Iraqiya, al-Issawi was also a tribal chief and one of the founding members of the Sahwa.  The Sahwa are Iraqis (largely Sunni -- but not just Sunni according to then-Gen David Petraeus' testimony to Congress in April 2008) who were paid to stop attacking the US military and their equipment.  April 8, 2008, Senator Barbara Boxer noted they were being paid $182 million a year by US tax payers.  All Iraq News notes the attack took place today on 40th Street in central Falluja. Kamal Maama (Independent Online) adds, "Posing as a worker, the attacker hugged Efan al-Esawi before detonating an explosive vest to kill the politician, who once campaigned against al Qaeda after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, police and local officials said."   
 
It would appear the Ministry of Defense is attempting to distort the death.  Nayla Razzouk and Kadhim Ajrash (Bloomberg News) notes the Ministry of Defense is stating the attack came "during an opposition demonstration."  Everyone else reports that  al-Essawi was on his way to a demonstration.  It matters. 
 
The Ministry of Defense has no minister.  Nouri al-Maliki has never nominated anyone for the post.  He's saying someone's an 'acting minister.'  The Constitution recognizes no such position. To be a minister, you have to be nominated by the prime minister and you have to be confirmed by the Parliament.  Once confirmed, to be removed, the Parliament has to vote you out.  Nouri has tried to removed a deputy prime minister and a vice president in his second term.  He had no luck getting the votes needed in Parliament.  Creating 'acting' positions allows him to control ministries the Constitution does not put him in charge of.  If you are 'acting minister,' you are someone Nouri gave the job to -- it would be interesting to find out what acting ministers are being paid since they have not been confirmed by Parliament.  Nouri gave you the job and, the second you disagree with him, he can pull you from the job.  You have no protection you have no power.  Nouri was supposed to name a full Cabinet -- as the Constitution requires -- to move from prime minister-designate (November 2010) to prime minister (December 2010).  However, the Erbil Agreement (a US government brokered contract) gave him a second term.  The voters didn't, the Constiution didn't.  So he wasn't apparently required to obey the Constitution and come up with a full Cabinet.  Back in July, Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) observed, "Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has struggled to forge a lasting power-sharing agreement and has yet to fill key Cabinet positions, including the ministers of defense, interior and national security, while his backers have also shown signs of wobbling support."   Those positions still haven't been filled.  So Nouri is the Minister of Interior currently. 
 
Which is why, if the Ministry of Interior is attempting to say that the attack took place today at a demonstration, we need to stop a minute and ask what's going on?  What may be going on is that Nouri may be attempting to use this attack to stop the protests, to declare them dangerous (he's called them that since the start) and to try to outlaw them as a result.  This is not minor.  Bloomberg News should have noted in their report that no one else is saying that the attack took place at a demonstration.  Again, Nouri is repeatedly claiming that the protests are dangerous or that they will be the object of danger in his attempt to shut them down.  For example,  Abdulrahman al-Rashed (Al Arabiya) points out:

"The government [of Iraq] has obtained high-level intelligence information about plans to carry out terrorist attacks against protestors."
You have to be ignorant about geopolitics to believe the story of this alleged intelligence, made public by an anonymous government source to justify the closure of the border crossing with Jordan and the subsequent damage inflicted upon the residents of al-Anbar.
Had the Maliki government enjoyed any credibility, we would have never doubted its reasons for closing the vital crossing to Jordan, for terrorism is a painful reality that still threatens Iraq. But Maliki's government has decided to punish the people of al-Anbar, the province raging with anger against him and leading the popular opposition movement in Iraq.
 
 
MWC notes he was inspecting a new road being constructed in southern Falluja and quotes his chief of staff Sohaib Haqi stating, "The moment he stepped out of the car to check out this road between Fallujah and Amriyah, at this moment, there was a man.  He came to him, hugged him, said Allahu Akbar, and blew himself up."  Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) reports, "Lawmaker Ayfan Sadoon al-Essawi was visiting a construction site on a commercial street in central Falluja on Tuesday when the bomber, disguised as a laborer, approached him, authorities said." Qassim Abdul-Zahra (AP) reports, "According to police, the lawmaker was inspecting a roadwork project when his attacker, dressed as one of the construction workers, approached and pretended that he was trying to shake hands before blowing himself up."   Again, why the (headless) Ministry of Defense is allowed to speak on this issue is beyond me.  It's also true that al-Issawi and Nouri were political rivals and that he had criticized Nouri's decision (last week) to shut down the road and port connecting Iraq with Jordan and Syria. 
 
Al Arabiya notes, "Before his death, Saadoun said that Maliki's closing of the Terabeel crossing to Jordan was wrong and can be described as an act of war against Anbar and the Sunni people in thie country."  They quote him stating, "The closure of Teraibeel crossing is disastrous for us, and this is like impsoing sanctions against the people of Anbar.  This is a declaration of war against the Sunnis and the province of Anbar.  I urged the parliament to form an emergency session to discuss security and the closure of the crossing which I believe is a big mistake and shouldn't be happening."
 
 All Iraq News also notes 2 bodyguards were killed in the attack, 2 bystanders were killed and five more bystanders were injured.  IANS states three bodyguards were killed in the attack.  AFP explains, "The killing of Ayfan Saadun Al Essawi comes just two days after the finance minister, Rafa Al Essawi, a fellow Sunni and a member of the same tribe and political bloc, escaped an apparent assassination attempt as his convoy passed near where yesterday's attack took place."  The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq issued the following statement:
 
Baghdad, 15 January 2013 - The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Iraq (SRSG), Martin Kobler, condemns in the strongest terms possible the heinous killing of Anbar Member of Parliament, 'Ifan Al-Issawi, in a terrorist attack in the middle of a demonstration in Fallujah, causing the death and injury of a number of other persons.
 The SRSG reiterates that it is equally vital to peacefully demonstrate and to protect protestors from infiltration of terrorists.
"I call again on all political forces to foil any attempt at instigating strife and to demonstrate utmost restraint," the SRSG said, adding that political dialogue must be resumed without further delay to exit from the current situation.
The SRSG extends his sincere condolences to the families of Mr. Al-Issawi and of the other victims, and wishes a speedy recovery to the wounded.
 
In addition, APA reports, "Turkey strongly condemned a bombing attack that targeted and killed a Sunni lawmaker in western Iraq on Tuesday amidst the festering tension in the politically fragile country as protests against the central government in Baghdad still continue in various cities." 



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