Former US-installed Iraqi prime minister returning to Iraq

[siri2k]

Breaking: Former US-installed Iraqi prime minister returning to Iraq --Allawi: 'We are going to fight for our country (the US-backed oil law).' 26 Aug 2007 Iraq's former (US-installed) interim prime minister accused Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of fomenting the sectarian violence plaguing the war-ravaged nation and said Sunday he will return to Baghdad soon to "reverse the course in Iraq." However, Ayad Allawi's ties to a powerful Washington-based GOP lobbying firm is raising eyebrows as President (sic) Bush has adamantly expressed his support for al-Maliki. Speaking from Amman, Jordan, Allawi told CNN that he will push for "a less sectarian, nonsectarian course" when he goes back to Baghdad next week -- and al-Maliki's ouster may be part of the solution. (See: Powerhouse GOP firm working to undermine Iraqi PM 23 Aug 2007. A powerhouse Republican lobbying firm with close ties to the White House has begun a public campaign to undermine the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, CNN has confirmed. See: Barbour Griffith & Rogers' agreement with Ayad Allawi 24 Aug 2007.)

[scarletwoman]

1. Hey, it's a GREAT plan! What could POSSIBLY go wrong? k & r (nt)

[salin]

2. seems like just yesterday... to look like there was change and progress

the bushies staged the ouster of Allawi who was seen as not moving things forward enough, so had to get a new face and suggest that just the face appearing was the face of democracy....

Or is my memory wrong?

[scarletwoman]

4. Yes, your memory is wrong. It was Jaafari who was ousted. Allawi was the appointed head of the

Interim Iraqi government that followed the dissolution of the CPA. His party was soundly trounced in the "purple finger" elections, so he left Iraq to nurse his wounded pride and plot his return.

Not sure if I'm spelling "Jaafari" correctly, btw -- but he was the first elected Prime Minister, who was consequently found to be unsatisfactory and was therefore replaced by Al Maliki.

sw

[salin]

5. Thanks for the recap... so, Allawi's party was

ousted (that voting thing) - and he (is he still with a party? am guessing these parties/affiliations are still rather fluid) is being poised to take over.

Why do I think that the there might be lingering skepticism that Allawi would be a puppet - and that this wouldn't have the effect of calming/quelling the fighting? Gee, that will prove that the escalation... er... surge is working well.

[scarletwoman]

6. He's a CIA/MI6 guy from way back. I think his party won about 2-3 seats in the Iraq Parliament.

If he somehow takes over, it won't be a matter of "lingering skepticism" that he's a puppet, it will be an accepted fact by the citizens of Iraq. They know bullshit when they see it.

He'd have either no, or a worsening effect on the internal strife in Iraq. What he most likely WOULD do is make sure the "Oil Law" gets pushed through one way or another. I'm pretty certain that's what his backers are looking for. He WON'T be there to settle things down enough to remove U.S. troops -- NO ONE has any intention of THAT.

sw

on edit: Almost forgot. He'll also nip all the friendly overtures with Iran that Maliki has been making in the bud. Which is probably one of the biggest reasons this push for Allawi is happening now.

[siri2k]

9. LOL! Allawi was getting about 300K a month from the Pentagon...

as a 'consultant,' a while back.

[scarletwoman]

10. Oh yeah, he's been well taken care of. I guess Maliki's latest chumming it up with Ahmedinajad

was the final cue they've been waiting for to bring Allawi back onstage.

sw

[SoCalDem]

3. Next in line? Ahmed Chalabi?

He's on his ..what... third re-incarnation by now?

Alawi may be poised for return, but don;t count Chalabi out just yet :)

[Disturbed]

7. Rearranging the deck chair on the Iraq Titanic.

“Allawi has been described as “Saddam lite.” In 2004, he handcuffed and blindfolded six suspected terrorists and shot them in the head with a pistol. Now, with frustrations mounting against current prime minister Maliki, the administration may be using that as an opportunity to usher in its reliable ally Allawi.” spanone

Maliki sealed his doom be this visit.

[scarletwoman]

8. Poor Maliki! He actually came to believe that he was the sovereign head of a sovereign nation!

Looks like he's about to be disabused of that silly notion.

sw

[siri2k]

12. LOL!! n/t

[autorank]

15. Chalabi...why didn't I think of that...@%@% !!!! #@@^!!!

:nuke:

If it is Chalabi, they need Roger Stone to sell it. Stone could do for Chalabi, what he did for Pataki.

In fact he can pack up Pataki and take him to Iraq. Find with NYers I'm sure.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

11. Where are all the purple fingers, now?

This situation is beyond words and feelings.

I wish I was never brought up to believe,...well, nevermind.

[scarletwoman]

13. Where are all those purple fingers now? In hospitals, in morgues,in graveyards, in refugee camps,

in prisons, in fear-ridden houses with no electricity or water.

There are no doubt some who are okay, of course. However, I somehow doubt that they exist among the Iraqi urban poor, or those who find themselves abruptly ethnically/religiously inconvenient in the neighborhood their family has lived in for generations.

We have just flat out destroyed an entire country. For the sake of domestic politics. For the sake of military and economic hegenomy. For the sake of the financial elites' profits.

There is NO way we can atone for this save our own destruction. We must become a people utterly incapable of ever committing such a foul deed again.

sw

[rodeodance]

21. probably many are.

[SoCalDem]

23. They are now brown fingers .. Everything bush touches turns to shit. n/t

[autorank]

14. K*R #5 and Off we go! What a strange bunch of folks...

What's a Republican PR firm doing behind this in such an open way. Isn't this what they have secret agencies for? Lets see, yeah, we'll hire a PR form that does all sorts of Republican crap and nobody will notice. Curiouser and curiouser...

[mmonk]

16. Bookmarking and recommending.

[siri2k]

17. Thank you! n/t

[mmonk]

18. Anytime.

I bookmark information I intend to use or explore. Thanks for it.

[Disturbed]

19. This will work in the Busholini Regime's favor.

While Busholini says Maliki is "a good guy", the RWing henchman destroy him & the replacement is in the wings. When the replacement is in place, the Busholini Regime will say that is democracy in action in Iraq. Now the US Occupation must continue to support the "new, improved Iraqi democracy". Yeah, the Rwing are a clever bunch.

[rodeodance]

20. heads up Maliki

[spanone]

22. and bu$h* & cheynee will use it to force congress to fund the war longer.

it's bullshit...the timing is beyond suspicion.