U.S., U.N. Seek New Leaders For Iraq

[GermanDJ]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37921-2004Apr23.html

The United States and the top U.N. envoy to Iraq have decided to exclude the majority of the Iraqi politicians the U.S.-led coalition has relied on over the past year when they select an Iraqi government to assume power on June 30, U.S. and U.N. officials said yesterday.

The latest shift in policy comes as the U.S.-led coalition has to resolve some contentious and long-standing issues before the transfer takes place. Earlier this week, the coalition moved to allow former Baath Party members and military officers to return to government jobs.
(...)

Washington is also seriously considering cutting off the $340,000 monthly stipend to Chalabi's party, the Iraqi National Congress, according to a senior administration official familiar with the discussions. This would be a major change, because the INC has received millions of dollars in U.S. aid over the past decade as the primary vehicle for supporting the Iraqi opposition.

[Snellius]

1. Maybe they'll put Saddam back in power

.

[Webster Green]

2. That wouldn't surprise me at all............

in the topsy-turvy world of ChimpCo Inc.

[kalian]

3. That would be funny....

if it weren't too far from the truth.
The ONLY reason that Iraq was "stable" was because of Saddam's
"abilities" as a strong-armed dictator. But then again, the US placed
him in power...so I guess that they can find "another Saddam".

:eyes:

[happynewyear]

5. maybe they will put Saddam back in power

If that is really Saddam they have captured. Who really knows the reality of any of this?

[sushi]

6. Who knows what will happen!

After all, unwanted Baathists are being hired again. Saddam Hussein did keep the three groups, the Shiites, the Sunnis, and the Kurds, together. Thousands of people lost their lives during his rule, but I read 12,000 thousands were killed during the war, and another 2000 since the end of hostilities.

Rod Liddle, in The Spectator:
"...As a result of our actions many more people have lost their lives (or been maimed or made homeless) than would have been occasioned by another 10 years of Saddam's rule....Nor are we God-fearing Christian, democracy-loving Westerners any safer that we were before May 2003. Nearly 1500 of us - soldiers and civilians - have been killed in Iraq since April last year. They would not have been killed had there not been a war; Saddam, remember, posed no threat whatsoever to us. And this is leaving aside the numbers of Christians who have been killed, or soon will be, because through our actions we have aroused the righteous, or self-righteous, fury of the Islamic world."

[jimshoes]

4. Why is the June 30th turnover date so important

to bushco*? He seems really nervous about renegging on the promise to turn things over. Almost like he's going to lose a bet or something or perhaps be held in breach of contract with a bunch of corporations doing "bidness" in Iraq.

[Moderator]

7. Duplicate, please discuss here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x507248