Talks on forming Iraqi government collapse - U.S. soldier killed in Mosul

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5598033

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Talks between Iraq's leading parties on forming a new
government have broken down, crushing hopes it would be in place before parliament,
elected despite relentless violence, meets for the first time this week.

Officials from the Shi'ite alliance that won the most votes and the Kurdish bloc that
came second said on Sunday they had failed to agree on two sticky issues -- distributing
top cabinet posts and extending the Kurds' autonomous region in the north.

Parliament is due to meet on Wednesday, more than six weeks after a landmark
election that gave many in Iraq hope that a new authority would clamp down on suicide
attacks, car bombs and execution-style killings by mainly Sunni Arab insurgents.

In the northern Iraqi town of Sharqat, a suicide car bomb killed six Iraqi soldiers on
Saturday, the Iraqi army said.

In Mosul, a U.S. soldier was killed by small arms fire on Friday, the American military
said, and on Saturday a roadside bomb killed two U.S. contractors south of Baghdad.

more

[annabanana]

1. Good thing Switzerland is on the case

I doubt this will make the 24/7 circuit.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. But, but they had elections

everything is supposed to be all better now. Democracy is blooming all over the Middle East. Didn't they get the memo?

[leftchick]

3. the contractors were Blackwater mercenaries...

killing is their specialty.

[Frederik]

5. Security "consulting"

That should qualify as Newspeak, dontcha think?

[0007]

7. Thanks for the update and the great great photos leftchick.

Your hard work is much appreciated!

[theHandpuppet]

4. I've always wondered what the troops think of these mercenaries

Here are these kids, many from poor or working class families, wearing the uniform and risking their lives whilst mercenaries are raking it in as hired killers and with no shortage of the best equipment. I'd be resentful as hell.

[leftchick]

6. and paid BIG bucks as well

US Tax $$$$$! I am sure there is a lot of resentment. I read not too long ago Special Forces is having a problem with their guys leaving to join these outfits. If your gonna be in Iraq you may as well make the big bucks I suppose.

[0007]

8. ...and the mercenaries flip off the uniform code to establish their

dissimilarity.

[IndianaGreen]

20. Once they don the uniform and carry an automatic weapon, they are no

longer "kids." One can argue that at the very least, the mercenaries are getting well paid for being assassins, while the GIs are providing more bang for the bucks. To the Iraqi civilians, it matters little that the bullet that kills them comes from an American mercenary or a GI.

[ECH1969]

24. Of course the troops hate them

They probably get paid several times as much for less work and no rules.

[bemildred]

9. So it was all bullshit, as usual. nt

[jmcgowanjm]

11. lumpen denken

The US is now back to square one
on Iraqi democracy, with the Iraqi people
still thinking that they voted for the US to leave.

Leaving aside Scott Ritter's announcement
that the election was rigged.

With the Resistance still bombing USconvoys,
shooting down helo's, freeing prisoners,
and rocketing USbases, saying I told you so.

And as of Tuesday's Hezbollah rally,
I haven't heard a peep on MSM about the
"Cedar Revolution".

The twin developments were a stunning reversal for U.S.
policy in Lebanon, putting the country’s political position
back almost where it was when the anti-Syrian protests
began following the assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri on Feb. 14. The heightened tensions
also have complicated the United Nations’ strategy
for pressuring Syria to withdraw its remaining 14,000
troops from Lebanon.
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2005/031105.html


Iran says we're hallucinating on our latest
EU negotiating gambit.

And on the- at first you don't succeed, enlarge
the field of battle- front:

Converging U.S. Navy aircraft carrier groups in Middle East
send strong message to Iran and Syria

http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/1877.asp

" Iran is attempting to acquire anti-ship missiles from
Russia. Ominously, the same report also mentioned that
the more advanced Yakhonts missile was "optimized for
attacks against carrier task forces." Apparently its
guidance system is "able to distinguish an aircraft carrier
from its escorts." The numbers were not disclosed." -
Jane's Defense Weekly, 2001

[bemildred]

13. Yeah, saw the carriers story.

The obvious interpretation is an attempt to threaten
the disobedient, it's really the only thing left, but
I don't think it's going to work.

What is noticeable as one surveys the news, as you point
out, is the profound lack of respect the blathering of the
us media and our "leaders" is getting these days. One
might almost think the rest of the World is tired of trying
to be polite.

It seems to have begun about the time of the Bush Pooty-Poot
meeting, or Condi's tour.

[jmcgowanjm]

15. Such thoughts are beyond our leaders' kin

I presume the US kept rerunning those wargames,
with progressively stupider managers, until they got a
result Bush would accept - ie the US wins. So now they
are fooling themselves that they can do
it.

The Israeli government responded cautiously yesterday to
an announcement by Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary
of state, that America would support Britain, France
and Germany in offering economic incentives for Tehran
to abandon its programme.

-This was when Teheran used the word
"hallucinating" I suppose.

Dick Cheney, the American vice-president, emphasised
on Friday that Iran would face “stronger action” if it failed
to respond.

“No pressure, bribe or threat can make Iran give up its
legitimate right to use nuclear technology for
peaceful purposes,” said an Iranian
spokesman.

US officials warned last week that a military strike on
Iranian nuclear facilities by Israeli or American forces had
not been ruled out should the issue become deadlocked at
the United Nations.

http://www.uruknet.info/?colonna=m&p=10342&l=x&size=1&hd=0

[bemildred]

16. The absence of new ideas is telling.

As the USS Titanic sinks into the North Atlantic, they stand
on the bridge repeating the same hundred-year-old combination
of threats, lies, and sanctimony endlessly.

[SOS]

19. An interesting element of the BS

is the bogus allotment of seats to Kurds by Bremer and the CPA.
The Kurds are 15% of the population, but were allotted 27% of the National Assembly seats by the CPA.

[bemildred]

22. I think all the Bremerizations will have to be undone.

Until political realities are dealt with (you know,
"reality-based" politics?) things will stay a mess.

Once having said that, there are a whole bunch of them.
This is just the way he made sure the political process
wouldn't work. There are also the "Monsato owns your crops"
orders, and all the arbitrary "privatization" horseshit, and
on and on.

Then, of course, we're going to need some serious war-crimes
trials, and reparations.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

26. And Scott Ritter is claiming that 10% of the votes were manipulated

removed from the leading Shiite Party and given to Allawi's Party, in an effort to keep Al-Sistani from having too much power. So you have the Kurds and Allawi's Party usurping the Democratic process. There's apparently some kind of self-destruct feature in the new government whereby the elections have to be rescheduled all over again if the parties can't form a government and draft a Constitution. Meanwhile, the US gets more time to stay in Iraq and build those military bases and oil pipelines.

[Straight Shooter]

10. I suspect the Kurds see this as their best chance for more power.

As Turkey watches, warily.

[leftchick]

12. That is for sure...

I read a log article the other day about the Kurds. The shit will hit the fan when Turkey loses patience.

[IndianaGreen]

23. Kurds are smoking too much opium to think clearly

The highest level of autonomy the Kurds ever reached was while they were under US protection during Saddam's rule. That's over and done with! The Shias will never allow the Kurds to secede from Iraq, and take the Northern oil fields with them. The Turks will never allow an independent Kurdish state next to their border. Either way, the Kurds will lose. In fact, the Kurds have already lost! This is one case in which the argument can be made that the Kurds were better off while Saddam was in power in Baghdad. It is all downhill from here.

Sun., March 13, 2005 Adar2 3, 5765

Study finds close genetic connection between Jews, Kurds

By Tamara Traubman

The people closest to the Jews from a genetic point of view may be the Kurds, according to results of a new study at the Hebrew University.

Scientists who participated in the research said the findings seem to indicate both peoples had common ancestors who lived in the northern half of the fertile crescent, where northern Iraq and Turkey are today. Some of them, it is assumed, wandered south in pre-historic times and settled on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean.

Professor Ariella Oppenheim and Dr. Marina Feirman, who carried out the research at the Hebrew University, said they were surprised to find a closer genetic connection between the Jews and the populations of the fertile crescent than between the Jews and their Arab neighbors. Oppenheim pointed out that previous research of DNA of Jews, including her own work, had revealed great genetic similarity between Jews and Arabs, particularly Palestinians from Israel and the territories.

The present study, however, involved more detailed and thorough examinations than previous research. In addition, this was the first comparison of the DNA of Jews and Kurds.

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=96990

[leftchick]

14. I wonder how new the Blackwater Helicopters are...

I was reading the other day how our US Army and Marine helicopters are not fairing well in the desert. I am sure Blackwater has no problem replacing theirs at taxpayer cost. :mad:




A helicopter belonging to the Blackwater security firm scans the streets of central Baghdad. Kurdish parties debated joining a coalition government with Iraq (news - web sites)'s election-winning Shiite alliance as two US contractors were killed in a bomb blast and 12 corpses were found south of Baghdad.(AFP/Ahmad



File picture of a Blackwater security firm crew scanning Baghdad city centre from their helicopter, 05 February 2005. Two Americans (not pictured) working for the Blackwater security firm were killed and a third wounded in a roadside bombing just south of Baghdad, the US embassy said.(AFP/File)

[jmcgowanjm]

27. I remember changing air filters on farm tractors once a day

I also remember reading that a helo in iraq
could injest a barrel of sand per day
and the blades were cut by the sand
to an awful degree.

Two years ago today:

Russian military intel report: update on the situation in Iraq

According to Col. Gen. Korabelnikov beginning at 1200 on
Friday March 14 US forces operate in the high combat
readiness state and are capable of initiating combat
operations 3-4 hours after they receive orders to such effect.
All necessary combat orders have been delivered to all levels
of command structure down to the battalion level
commanders.

It seems likely that the combat operations will begin on 19-22
of March at around 2-4 am local time.

ramzaj

[True_Blue]

17. Talks on Iraq government fail

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's leading parties have failed to reach a deal on forming a new government before the first meeting of parliament, crushing hopes a much-needed cabinet would start to tackle relentless violence.

Iraq's Deputy President Rowsch Shways said talks between the Shi'ite alliance that won landmark elections and Kurds who came second would resume after parliament's opening session on Wednesday to hammer out differences.

"We will return to Baghdad to rewrite some points. The talks will continue and there are some important points that deserve more discussion," Fouad Massoum, interim parliamentary speaker and a Kurd, said in the northern city of Arbil.

Parliament is due to meet on Wednesday, more than six weeks after polls that gave many in Iraq hope that a new authority would clamp down on suicide attacks, car bombs and execution-style killings by mainly Sunni Arab insurgents.

more....
http://today.reuters.co.uk/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-03-13T154054Z_01_HOP344640_RTRUKOC_0_IRAQ.xml

[Igel]

18. Not the first time negotiations hit an impasse, not the last,

probably.

If nothing else, I hope parliament meets. It'll put pressure on them to stop their pissing contest and figure out exactly what's negotiable and what isn't.

[ECH1969]

21. Allawi is probably doing a happy dance right now

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's leading parties said on Sunday they had failed to reach a deal to form a new government before the first meeting of parliament, crushing hopes a much-needed cabinet would start to tackle relentless violence.

ALLAWI CARETAKER ROLE

The standoff plays into the hands of interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, whose cabinet could now remain in a caretaker role until a general election due at the end of the year.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=7884978&type=worldNews

[struggle4progress]

25. kick

[muriel_volestrangler]

28. Juan Cole's commentary

The US spiked the Iraqi parliamentary process by putting in a provision that a government has to be formed with a 2/3s majority. This provision is a neo-colonial imposition on Iraq. The Iraqi public was never asked about it. And, it is predictably producing gridlock, as the UIA is forced to try to accommodate a party that should be in the opposition in the British system, the Kurdistan Alliance.

Likewise, in France, a simple majority of the National Assembly can dismiss the cabinet. Likewise in India. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the 2/3s super-majority is characteristic of only one nation on earth, i.e. American Iraq. I fear it is functioning in an anti-democratic manner to thwart the will of the majority of Iraqis, who braved great danger to come out and vote.

It is all to the good if the Shiites and Kurds are forced to come to a set of hard compromises. But not everything can be decided at the beginning of the process. Some issues (Kirkuk is a good example) must be decided by a long-term negotiation. I perceive this latest Kurdish demarche to consist in a power play where they grab all sorts of concessions on a short-term basis, just because they are needed to form a government, even though no national consensus has emerged on these issues.

I think there is also a real chance that Iraqis will turn against the idea of democracy if it only produces insecurity, violence, and gridlock.

http://www.juancole.com/2005/03/shiite-kurdish-deal-collapses-al-hayat.html