NYT- Surprising Choice for Premier of Iraq Reflects U.S. Influence

[maddezmom]

UNITED NATIONS, May 28 — After turning to the United Nations to shore up its failing effort to fashion a new government in Baghdad, the United States ended up Friday with a choice for prime minister certain to be seen more as an American candidate than one of the United Nations or the Iraqis themselves.

~snip~

When we first heard the news today, we thought that the Iraqi Governing Council had hijacked the process," said a senior United Nations official, referring to the American-picked body that voted to recommend Dr. Alawi earlier on Friday.


~snip~

Some time later, perhaps because of the skepticism that comment engendered, a less circumspect statement was issued in the name of Ahmad Fawzi, Mr. Brahimi's press spokesman, saying: "Let there be no misunderstanding. Mr. Brahimi is perfectly comfortable with how the process is proceeding thus far."

In a telephone interview from Baghdad, Mr. Brahimi refused to discuss the selection of Dr. Alawi. "I don't want to go back saying who is good and who is bad," he said.

But in a hint that the selection process had not gone exactly as planned, Mr. Brahimi added, "You know, sometimes people think I am a free agent out here, that I have a free hand to do whatever I want." He noted that he had been asked to take on the job in a letter to Mr. Annan from the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq and the Iraqi Governing Council.

~snip~

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/29/politics/29ASSE.html?hp

[NJCher]

1. well, we'll just see about that

Do us all a favor, Dr. Alawi, and demonstrate your independence by telling the U.S. to get out of Iraq.


Cher

[teryang]

2. Interesting that this development was preceded

...by the assassination of the Iraqi Governing Council President on May 17.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32354-2004May17.html

<BAGHDAD, May 17 -- The president of the Iraqi Governing Council was killed early Monday in a huge explosion set off by a suicide bomber outside the headquarters of the U.S.-led occupation authority here.><snip>

<The explosion killed Izzedine Salim, who had held the rotating presidency of the Governing Council since May 1 and was a leader of the Islamic Dawa Party, one of the most influential Shiite Muslim political factions in Iraq.>

[Dover]

3. ...yeah, his bad luck. Guess he wasn't a close enough relation to Chalabi

or any relation at all. Nepotism is deadly serious, and the CIA seems to have a lot of 'relatives' too.

[0007]

4. Makes wonder now about that huge explosion that killed Izzedine Salim

Can the control freaks make this attempted act of sovereignty appear legitimate?

.....and Chalabi didn't like this choice!

"Let there be no misunderstanding. Mr. Brahimi is perfectly comfortable with how the process is proceeding thus far."

In a telephone interview from Baghdad, Mr. Brahimi refused to discuss the selection of Dr. Alawi. "I don't want to go back saying who is good and who is bad," he said.

But in a hint that the selection process had not gone exactly as planned, Mr. Brahimi added, "You know, sometimes people think I am a free agent out here, that I have a free hand to do whatever I want." He noted that he had been asked to take on the job in a letter to Mr. Annan from the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq and the Iraqi Governing Council."

Does it appear to anyone that Mr. Brahimi may have changed his tune?

[teryang]

5. Bush policy in Iraq equals chaos

The UN, the IGC, and CA all lack the power to designate an interim leadership, that is the problem.

The press keeps referring to this as the new government of July 1. It isn't, it is another interim government. What is the purpose of that? It further destabilizes the IGC without accomplishing anything except to meet chimp's phony milestone for "sovereignty" in Iraq, without elections.

[truthisfreedom]

6. war is peace, chaos is order, death is freedom.

as long as the profits keep rolling in via the oil industry and the military-industrial complex, all is well in bushland.