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New York, Dec 2 : The ongoing United States military drawdown in Iraq is making it more difficult for the United Nations to carry out its operations, which range from the humanitarian to the development to the political fields, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his latest report on the country. "While there has been gradual progress over the past several years in making the United Nations more self-reliant in Iraq, certain security and logistical arrangements still being provided by the United States will need to be replaced," he writes in the report, in which he also cites continuing though lower-level violence and the need to build swiftly on gains in the political field to provide essential services to the Iraqi people. "While steps are being taken in this [security] regard, this will only be possible with strong financial support from Member States," he says, adding that overall the withdrawal of US forces is likely to have a short- to medium-term effect on the security situation as the central Government attempts to assert itself. Ban commends all political blocs for reaching agreements that appear to have ended the deadlock in forming a new government after elections in March. "The breakthrough represents a major milestone in democratic progress for Iraq and should pave the way for the first peaceful transition between elected governments under full Iraqi sovereignty," he says. He urges leaders to swiftly complete forming the new government and ensure that it is inclusive and broadly participatory, adding: "Progress in this regard will help put the country on the path towards democracy, national reconciliation and long-term stability." He calls for a new impetus to resolve the many political, socio-economic and security challenges, including disputed internal boundaries, particularly the status of Kirkuk, the sharing of natural resources, a revenue-sharing mechanism, hydrocarbon legislation, agreement on the balance between federal, regional, and provincial powers, and respect for human rights. "In consultation with the new Government of Iraq, UNAMI will continue to support efforts to resolve these outstanding issues," he says, referring to the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq. He calls the recently increasing number of security attacks "a major concern," voicing particular shock at the attack on the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad, which left many dead and scores injured. "It underscores the fact that Christians and minorities in the country continue to face daily threats of violence and intimidation," he writes, also condemning the "heinous" attacks on Shia pilgrims in Karbala and Najaf. "I urge the Government of Iraq to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure that all Iraqis, regardless of their religious beliefs, are provided with adequate protection and are able to practice their faith in peace," he adds. Turning to development and reconstruction needs, he pledges continued UN support. "The formation of a new government will mean very little to ordinary Iraqis unless they begin to see tangible improvements in their lives, particularly in the delivery of essential services and the creation of new job opportunities," he warns. While the focus in Iraq is shifting to long-term development, there are still many humanitarian needs, particularly with respect to internally displaced persons and refugees, Ban writes, warning that no significant new contributions have been received for the Iraq Humanitarian Action Plan. "While thanking the donor community and the Government of Iraq for the support received to date, I reiterate my request for increased resources to allow the United Nations and its partners to continue their support of the vulnerable populations of Iraq," he declares. On human rights, Ban notes that the security situation continues to affect civilians, mostly through insurgent and extremist terrorism and violent gang crimes. UNAMI has observed some improvement in detention conditions in Kurdistan, including better living conditions and access to medical services in the facilities. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the report points out, have alleged that Iraqi domestic law and international human rights standards are being systematically violated, citing allegations of torture, ill-treatment and rape of detainees to extract confessions in both State and non-State illegal detention centres. Turning to UNAMI's role in the country, the UN Secretary-General cites its facilitation of dialogue between the Arab and Kurdish sides in the north, its continued engagement with the major parliamentary blocs on the status of the constitutional review process in the forthcoming legislative session, and its focus, together with other UN agencies, on key national development initiatives, including in the private sector and employment generation. "It is my sincere hope that with the formation of a new government, the security situation in the country will improve," he concludes. "However, Iraq will still remain a challenging operating environment in the foreseeable future." http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-96398.html

BAGHDAD -- Iraq's president formally nominated Nouri al-Maliki for a second term as the country's prime minister on Thursday, giving him 30 days to cobble together a government from competing factions that remain deeply divided and suspicious of his return to power. President Jalal Talabani first nominated Maliki when Iraq's new parliament met in a stormy session two weeks ago. But he delayed the formal designation required by the country's constitution until Thursday to give Maliki the maximum time to negotiate the competing demands of parliamentary blocs that covet leadership posts. Talabani, a Kurd who was re-elected two weeks ago, announced the nomination in a televised ceremony at his Peace Palace on the Tigris River. He was joined by leaders of all the major parties except al-Maliki's main rival, Ayad Allawi, a Shiite whose coalition won the support of most of Iraq's Sunnis. Talabani called on Maliki to form "a new government that we hope will be a government of national partnership and will not exclude anyone." It has been a long time coming. The elections for 325 members of the Council of Representative were held March 7, but legal challenges and political squabbling delayed first the results and then the convening of parliament through the summer and fall. Even if Maliki meets the 30-day deadline in late December -- which is not a certainty, given the chronic disregard for legal deadlines in Iraqi politics -- the -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Advertisement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- country will have spent more than nine months under a caretaker government without a functioning legislature. Many of Iraq's most critical needs, including basic services and investment, have remained unaddressed throughout the impasse. Maliki, 60, a Shiite first elected as a compromise prime minister in 2006, appealed for unity. Reading from written remarks, he urged the political leaders with him "to overcome the disputes from the past, to put them behind us and to open a new page of cooperation in building the country." He said that the improvement in security was his greatest accomplishment in office, and he emphasized the need to support the security forces "in their difficult mission" against an untamed insurgency. He did not mention the United States or its role assisting those forces. At the same time, al-Maliki appeared mindful of growing public frustration over the failure to improve basic services like electricity. "We want an active and qualified government to provide services to our people that we delayed for a long time," he said. Still uncertain is the role of Allawi, whose coalition, Iraqiya, narrowly beat Maliki's, winning 91 seats compared with 89. Under an agreement brokered by the Obama administration, Allawi was supposed to take over a committee on national security and other strategic issues whose authority remains ill defined. On the night parliament met two weeks ago, Allawi led a walkout of some of Iraqiya's members, and then left the country, denouncing the agreement as stillborn. He returned to Iraq on Wednesday, but continues to complain about the agreement, blaming Iran for blocking what he considers his rightful chance to be prime minister. http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_16712795?source=rss

Incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki cemented his grip on power Thursday, bringing an end to nearly nine months of political deadlock after he was asked to form the next government. He now faces the daunting task of bringing together Iraq's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish factions in a government that can overcome enduring tensions as the country struggles to develop its economy and prevent a resurgence of violence as the last American troops are due to leave by the end of next year. The long-awaited request from President Jalal Talabani sets in motion a 30-day timeline during which al-Maliki must pick his Cabinet. Al-Maliki, a steely politician known more for his ability to alienate than unify, said he was aware of the challenges ahead. "I call upon the great Iraqi people from all sects, religions and ethnicities and I call upon my brothers the politicians to work to overcome all differences," the prime minister designate said during the ceremony at the president's palace. The new government is expected to include all the major factions, including the Kurds, Shiite political parties aligned with Iran and a Sunni-backed bloc that believes it should have been the one leading the next government. In many ways it is likely to be similar to the previous government. The presidency again will be held by the Kurds, the parliament speaker by the Sunnis and the prime minister's office went to the country's dominant sect, the Shiites. The breakdown is a reflection of the sectarian interests that still divide this country, seven years after the US-led invasion. Al-Maliki will have to find other substantial roles for all of those factions or risk having them leave his government, a destabilizing blow for a country struggling to overcome years of violence and economic sanctions. The president's request Thursday was largely a formality following Talabani's re-election on November 11. Talabani, a Kurd, then had 15 days in which to formally extend the offer and start the 30-day clock. The announcement underscores what has been a stunning comeback for al-Maliki, whose State of Law coalition came in a close second in the March 7 election to the Sunni-backed bloc led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. But neither bloc gained the 163-seat majority necessary to govern, leading to an intensive period of political jockeying. Al-Maliki, 60, then mended rifts with his hard-line Shiite rivals to consolidate his power base. A key question will be who gets to control the security ministries - interior and defense. Haider al-Abadi, a Shiite lawmaker and an al-Maliki ally, said those posts were expected to go to independent politicians not affiliated with any of the main political blocs. Such a move would avoid any risk of using the powerful ministries to settle feuds. The Kurds, meanwhile are pushing to hold onto the foreign ministry, while Allawi's Sunni-backed Iraqiya list has demanded the oil ministry. Finding a role for Iraqiya is an important challenge. Sunni discontent with the Shiite domination that arose from the American overthrow of Saddam Hussein was a key reason for the bloody insurgency that just a few years ago resulted in hundreds of people dead each day. Violence has sharply declined but attacks continue. A bomb went off in a pet store Thursday in the northern city of Tal Afar, killing at least three people and wounding 16, police and hospital officials said. Allawi, who did not attend the meeting, was expected to be named the head of a council that would have ambiguous powers over major government decisions, according to a power-sharing deal that paved the way for al-Maliki to keep his job. The post was pushed by the US Embassy as a way to include Allawi, and address one of Iraqiya's demands that there be a check on what they describe as al-Maliki's increasingly autocratic and insular government. But already al-Maliki and Allawi supporters have voiced conflicting opinions over just how much power the council will have. "The battle hasn't ended," said Iraqiya lawmaker, Alaa Makki. Al-Maliki will also have to weigh what role to give to followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose support proved vital in his bid to stay in office. The Sadrists' anti-American stance, ties to Iran and their disturbing history as one of the major players in the country's sectarian violence will make any Cabinet appointments a sensitive issue. But they are expected to demand a reward. "We have about 40 parliament seats which means we have great electoral rights," said Hakim al-Zamili, a high-ranking member of the Sadrist delegation. U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James F. Jeffrey acknowledged al-Maliki has a tough job ahead of him but was optimistic democracy would prevail. "He's in a strong position," Jeffrey said in an interview with The Associated Press. "But it isn't over until it's over, and it's essentially 325 members of the parliament that have the final say." http://www.3news.co.nz/Battle-over-Iraq-PM-must-form-new-government/tabid/417/articleID/188137/Default.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+co%2FMvia+%283News+-+International+News%29

Iraq has run out of money to pay for widows’ benefits, farm crops and other programs for the poor, the parliament leader told legislators, who have collected nearly $180,000 so far this year in one of the world’s most oil-rich nations. In only their fourth session since being elected in March, members of Iraq’s parliament demanded yesterday to know what happened to the estimated $1 billion allocated for welfare funding by the Finance Ministry for 2010. “We should ask the government where these allocations for widows’ aid have gone,” demanded Sadrist legislator Maha Adouri of Baghdad, one of the women who make up a quarter of the legislature’s 325 members. “There are thousands of widows who did not receive financial aid for months.” Another legislator said farmers have not been paid for wheat and other crops they supplied the government. The cause of the shortfall was unclear, but officials have worried that the deadlock over forming a new government since March’s inconclusive election ultimately would lead to funding shortages. Whatever the cause, the welfare cutoff has been felt among Iraqis. “We are sick people and others are old, and not getting our welfare puts us in a financial crisis,” said Fatima Hassan, 54, a widow who lives with her four children in Baghdad’s Sadr City slum. “How can we pay for our daily needs and for our medicine, or to cover the needs of my children? Where are the revenues of our right in our oil?” said Hassan, who stopped receiving government payments more than four months ago. Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi promised that parliament would push the Iraqi government for answers on where the money went. But he said new funding for the nation’s social care programs will have to come out of the 2011 budget, which he said would be sent to parliament within days. He said the Finance Ministry recently alerted parliament of the cash drain. A Finance Ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media put the 2010 welfare budget total at about $1 billion. He would not say what caused the shortfall. “We will ask the government about this — if there is any carelessness or delaying these payments,” said al-Nujaifi, a Sunni member of the Iraqiya political alliance. Iraq sits on top of some of the world’s largest oil reserves, although production has failed to grow significantly since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and subsequent reluctance by private investors to mine the petroleum fields. There are about 143.1 billion barrels of oil reserves in Iraq, valued at over $11 trillion, based on the $81.51 per-barrel price as of Friday. The legislators’ eagerness to take up an issue dear to their constituents may have been aimed in part to reverse public scorn for their own lavish paychecks. Even though parliament has hardly met over the past eight months, legislators have continued to pull in salaries and allowances that reach $22,500 a month — as well as a one-time $90,000 stipend and perks like free nights in Baghdad’s finest hotel. “They kept our millions in their pockets,” said Mizher Abdul Majeed, 49, a farmer in the northern town of Mosul whose bank refuses to cash the Iraqi Trade Ministry-issued checks that pay for his wheat. “How can we prepare for the coming planting season?” The four-hour session was otherwise largely taken up by procedural issues since lawmakers still can’t take up the most politically meaty issue before them — approving a new government. Factions have already started haggling over positions in backroom talks, even though President Jalal Talabani has not yet formally asked Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to begin selecting ministry leaders — a step that Ali al-Dabbagh, a spokesman for the government, said would likely come in several days. Once the official request comes from Talabani, al-Maliki has 30 days to assemble his Cabinet. So the delay gives al-Maliki, a Shiite who nearly lost his job after his alliance fell short in the March vote, more time to decide how to divvy up the posts among his competing partners. http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2010/nov/22/where-is-welfare-money-iraqis-demand-legislators-w-ar-476253/

Head of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines Yahya Al-Ishaq said Iran regards Iraq as one of the major investment locations in the Middle East region, the local satellite Press TV reported on Monday. Iraq's market and economic relations with Iran is a great opportunity for Tehran, and any failure to observe this opportunity would cause some loss to the country, Al-Ishaq told reporters on Sunday. Meanwhile, Al-Ishaq called on the Iranian government to prepare the ground for further presence of Iranian banks in neighboring Iraq, which involves efforts in such areas as banking, insurance and letter of credit, according to Press TV. He said Iran enjoys good infrastructures, including technology and expertise, making it possible for the country to have a permanent presence in the region's markets, the report said. "Currently 750 projects are underway in Iraq by Iranian contractors," the report quoted him as saying. According to local media, in August Iraq's Central Bank approved applications by two Iranian banks, Parsian and Karafarin, to operate in the country and open branches in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/7207190.html

BAGHDAD, Nov 21 (KUNA) -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani told outgoing Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki Sunday that the decree of his reassignement would be issued soon. The decree to reassign Al-Maliki will be issued "in near future and in an official form," a statement by the Presidency quoted Talabani as telling Al-Maliki in a meeting. Al-Maliki said the Iraqis have overcome a difficult phase and would continue their achievements. http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2125957&Language=en

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has contributed an op-ed for the Times in which he writes, “we are not disengaging from Iraq — rather, the nature of our engagement is changing from a military to a civilian lead.” He continues: While the day will come when Iraq’s vast natural wealth can fully finance its security and investment needs, and when its civilian institutions no longer require such intensive support, it has not yet arrived. Iraq has increased its own spending in these areas, and with sustained American engagement, it will emerge from generations of trauma to become a stable and self-reliant nation. That is why, even at this difficult economic time, we are asking Congress to fulfill our budget requests to support America’s continued engagement, including our broader diplomatic presence, a modernization plan for the Iraqi security forces and financing for a police development program. The drawdown of American troops will save $15 billion in the coming fiscal year — we seek to direct less than one-third of that amount to provide needed assistance to Iraq’s security forces and to our State Department’s civilian-led efforts. http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/biden-what-we-must-do-for-iraq-now/?partner=rss&emc=rss

* Widows, farmers, lower class not being paid for more than four months BAGHDAD: Iraq has run out of money to pay for widows’ benefits, farm crops and other programmes for the poor, the parliament leader on Sunday told lawmakers who have collected nearly $180,000 so far this year in one of the world’s most oil-rich nations. In only their fourth session since being elected in March, members of Iraq’s parliament demanded to know what happened to the estimated $1 billion allocated for welfare funding by the finance ministry for 2010. “We should ask the government where these allocations for widows’ aid have gone,” demanded Sadrist lawmaker Maha Adouri of Baghdad, one of the women who make up a quarter of the legislature’s 325 members. “There are thousands of widows who did not receive financial aid for months.” Another legislator said farmers have not been paid for wheat and other crops they supplied the government for at least five months. The cause of the shortfall was clear, but officials have worried that the deadlock over forming a new government since March’s inconclusive election ultimately would lead to funding shortages. Whatever the cause, the welfare cutoff has been felt among Iraqis. “We are sick people and others are old, and not getting our welfare puts us in a financial crisis,” said Fatima Hassan, a widow, who lives with her four children in Baghdad’s Sadr City slum. “How can we pay for our daily needs and for our medicine, or to cover the needs of my children? Where are the revenues of our right in our oil?” said Hassan, who stopped receiving government payments more than four months ago. Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi promised that parliament would push the Iraqi government for answers on where the money went. But he said new funding for the nation’s social care programs will have to come out of the 2011 budget, which he said would be sent to parliament within few days. He said the finance ministry recently alerted parliament of the cash drain. ap http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C11%5C22%5Cstory_22-11-2010_pg7_37

The Iraqi parliament meets on Sunday to begin in earnest the job its members were elected to do in March. MPs finally ended an eight-month period of deadlock the week before last, when they chose a speaker and reappointed Jalal Talabani as president. That cleared the way for caretaker Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to form a new government. But progress was interrupted by the Muslim holiday of Eid, which ended on Saturday. Sunday's session will see the start of another round of horse-trading over ministerial portfolios. One of parliament's first jobs will be to define the role of the new government body known provisionally as the National Council for Strategic Policies. This will be led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who was outmanoeuvred by Mr Maliki for the top job, despite winning more seats in March's election. 'Young and fragile' It has been surprisingly quiet in Baghdad these past few days. Is it the political breakthrough that has caused this sudden outbreak of peacefulness? Many will be hoping so, and that the spirit of accord, still so young and fragile, will survive the challenges and tensions that will undoubtedly surface as the business of politics resumes. Since the poll on 7 March, Iraq set a new world record for the longest period between an election and a government being formed. And they're still not quite there. Once Mr Talabani officially asks Mr Maliki to form an administration, he will have 30 days to do so. He will face a delicate task of dividing up ministerial portfolios between the various parties and factions, Shias, Sunnis and Kurds. The consolation prize for Mr Allawi and his mainly Sunni coalition is the leadership of the new council, but there are likely to be tensions over how much power it will wield. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11805073

Politics 11/21/2010 10:03:00 AM Iraqi President Jalal Talabani (With photos) BAGDAD, Nov 21 (KUNA) -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani ended his Eid retreat and is gearing up to formally assign Nouri Al-Maliki to form the new Iraqi cabinet for Talabani's second run at the helm of government, with many expecting this development within the week. "Talabani would officially assign Al-Maliki this task within two days, to give him enough time to form the new cabinet within the constitutionally designated one-month period, starting from date of his appointment," according to the National Alliance's leader Abbas Al-Bayati. He told KUNA he was "sure" Al-Maliki would succeed. For his part, Second Deputy Speaker Arif Tayfur told reporters the president would assign Al-Maliki this task sometime this week. Alliance member Jaafar Al-Mousawi meanwhile told KUNA this is no easy task; all political blocs have a duty to help the process. Upon re-election, Talabani told parliament forming a cabinet under Al-Maliki was the only means to stem sedition, and stressed stability of Iraq was directly connected to a true national reconciliation. Al-Maliki has a tough course ahead. Some 60 MPs presided by Ayad Allawi had boycotted his election, which shows there are still differences related to the implementation of the agreed power sharing. Ahead of his return to Bagdad, Talabani met the US Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey in Irbil. According to a Presidential Statement issued there, "Talabani stressed it was imperative to form a national unity government, since this is the only means to end all crises." The statement added deliberations on cabinet formation would take place "in the coming days." The statement pointed out that Iraqi parties now have to agree to distribution of ministerial portfolios within a cabinet able to live up to the needs of the Iraqi people and to restore security and basic services. Several members of the National Alliance indicated that the president requested several nominations for each portfolio for him to choose from. They explained the Defense and Interior portfolios would go to independent candidates. An informed source at the Iraqi Presidency told KUNA Talabani finished drafting the assignment decree, which is likely to be read before parliament "today". National Alliance leader Ali Al-Adeeb told KUNA agreement of all political blocs is required for each and every portfolio. Sensitive portfolios are to be considered in two categories, he added. Meanwhile, Ayad Allawi's List said they would take part in the cabinet if the power sharing agreements are honored. List Advisor Hani Ashour pointed out there are "understandings" regarding higher policy council law, concerning accountability and justice, and the agreements within the Barzani initiative's framework. The scene is presently tense over recent remarks by Talabani terming the Iraqi List "a losing horse." List Spokesman Haydar Al-Mulla expressed dissatisfaction with the remarks, and urged the president to seriously strive to forge better relations with states in the region and beyond. As the presidential remarks also involved reference to Turkey, the Spokesman expressed hope the neighbor state would take them as "expression of personal opinion" and maintain its "balanced" attitude to Iraq and its people. (end) mhg.wsa KUNA 211003 Nov 10NNNN http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2125818&Language=en

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US Vice President Joseph Biden on Sunday called for continued US engagement in Iraq, arguing that the country still faced big challenges on the road to security and prosperity. "The United States must also continue to do its part to reinforce Iraq?s progress," Biden wrote in an op-ed piece in The New York Times. "That is why we are not disengaging from Iraq -- rather, the nature of our engagement is changing from a military to a civilian lead." A security accord requires all US troops to be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of 2011, but officials in both countries have suggested a smaller US mission will probably stay on after next year to provide air power and other military assistance. About 50,000 US troops are currently in Iraq under a new "advise and assist" mission with Iraqi forces taking the lead. But Biden said that Iraq?s security forces were not yet ready to operate fully on their own. "That is why, even at this difficult economic time, we are asking Congress to fulfill our budget requests to support America?s continued engagement, including our broader diplomatic presence, a modernization plan for the Iraqi security forces and financing for a police development program," the vice president wrote. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101121/pl_afp/usiraqdiplomacyaid

Iraq parliament meets, govt formation resumes (AFP) 21 November 2010 BAGHDAD — Iraq’s lawmakers will on Sunday get back to the task of forming a new government after talks following a landmark power-sharing deal were interrupted by the Muslim holiday of Eid. Newly re-elected President Jalal Talabani is expected to officially name incumbent premier Nuri al-Maliki as prime minister-designate, giving him 30 days to form a cabinet and finally bring to an end months of impasse following inconclusive elections in March. Sunday’s scheduled session of parliament, due to open at 11:00 am (0800 GMT), was to focus on the formation of the Council of Representatives’ committees and the chamber’s regulations, a parliamentary official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. It comes after a power-sharing pact was agreed earlier this month and lauded by international leaders including US President Barack Obama, though the agreement has looked fragile ever since. The deal called for Maliki and Talabani to keep their jobs and for a Sunni Arab to selected speaker of parliament. It also established a new statutory body to oversee security as a sop to Iyad Allawi, who had held out for months to regain the post of premier after his Iraqiya bloc narrowly won the most seats in the March 7 poll. The support of Iraqiya is widely seen as vital to preventing a resurgence of inter-confessional violence. The Sunni Arab minority that dominated Saddam Hussein’s regime was the bedrock of the anti-US insurgency after the 2003 invasion. In a sign of the tenuousness of the accord, around 60 Iraqiya MPs walked out of a session of parliament on November 11, the day after the deal was signed, protesting that it was not being honoured. The bloc’s MPs had wanted three of its senior members, barred before the election for their alleged ties to Saddam Hussein’s banned Baath party, to be reinstated immediately. Two days later, however, Iraq’s lawmakers appeared to have salvaged the deal after leaders from the country’s three main parties met and agreed to reconcile and address the MPs’ protests. http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Hot+Topics/Iraq

We post the articles Steve we dont write them....All is GOOD! GOD BLESS!

Washington - In the first interview of his post-presidency, George W Bush said he was angered when US-led coalition forces failed to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but stood by the decision to invade the country to get rid of Saddam Hussein. Bush appeared on television Monday night on the eve of the publication of his memoir, Decision Points, and told NBC's Matt Lauer in a taped interview that it's 'a very hypothetical question' to ask whether he would have, knowing what he now does, proceeded with the invasion. 'I will say definitely the world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power, as are 25 million people who now have a chance to live in freedom,' Bush said. He added that as president one doesn't have the 'luxury' of looking back in time. Decision Points, due in US bookstores Tuesday, reflects on his life and eight years in the White House, covering topics ranging from stopping drinking, his emotional reaction to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Iraq, and the controversial policy to employ harsh interrogation techniques on terrorist suspects. Bush has stayed in the shadows since he left in White House in January 2009, unpopular in the United States and abroad. He has made some appearances at business conventions and teamed up with Bill Clinton to raise money for Haiti following the January earthquake. The interview was the first of several to kick off the launch of the book. He also plans a book tour to promote the memoir. In the book, Bush argues that he believed harsh techniques were required to coerce suspected terrorists into divulging information about potential attacks. He recalls telling the CIA 'damn right' when his authorization was sought to waterboard Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the admitted mastermind of the September 11 attacks. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/usa/news/article_1597525.php/Bush-defends-Iraq-invasion-in-first-interview-since-presidency

WASHINGTON (AFP) – A top US military officer said Monday that Iran's influence has waned in neighboring Iraq, where prolonged negotiations have struggled to decide on a new government. "Probably in the last couple months, in this period of government formation, I think that we think that the Iranian influence has diminished somewhat," said Lieutenant General Robert Cone, the deputy commander of US operations in Iraq. Cone gave a nuanced take on the role of Iran, which is a sworn foe of the United States but also strongly opposed Saddam Hussein's regime. "We see all sorts of Iranian influence -- some of it positive, in fact," Cone told reporters in Washington by video-link. "We believe some of it (is) negative, although it's very difficult to attribute that to the Iranian government," he said, explaining that weapons heading across the border could come from non-government players. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a member of Iraq's Shiite majority that was persecuted under Saddam, last month visited Iran where he appealed to the Shiite clerical regime to help in his country's reconstruction. Maliki's rival Iyad Allawi, whose alliance is mainly Sunni backed, has accused Iran of meddling in government formation talks and looked to support from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states. Iraq has been without a government since March 7 legislative elections, which were the second since the US-led invasion in 2003. Allawi's alliance finished slightly ahead of Maliki's bloc, but neither came close to a parliamentary majority. President Barack Obama, an early opponent of the Iraq war, in August declared an end to combat operations but has left nearly 50,000 troops on the ground in an "advise and assist" role. Cone stood by Obama's timeline to withdraw the remaining troops by the end of 2011 but stressed that an unspecified number of forces would remain to guard US interests including the embassy. "We will always have a requirement to provide some level of security for Americans that are in this country for the foreseeable future," Cone said. But Cone said that the US image was at stake in meeting the timeline. "I think that's very important in building credibility in this part of the world: the fact that we said we'd be at 50,000 and the fact that, barring a political change we will be at zero on January 1, 2012," Cone said. Members of the Republican Party, which won a sweeping victory in last week's congressional elections, have criticized Obama on Iraq but have mostly stopped short of calling for an extension of the US troop mission. However, Republicans are pressing Obama to end a separate timeline of starting to withdraw combat forces from Afghanistan in mid-2011, subject to conditions on the ground. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101108/pl_afp/iraqpoliticsusiranmilitary

Tuesday, November 09, 2010 BAGHDAD, AFP - Iraq's political rivals have reached a breakthrough power-sharing deal in which Nuri al-Maliki, a Shi'ite, retains the premiership, exactly eight months after inconclusive elections. "An agreement was reached yesterday among the political parties in which Jalal Talabani will continue as head of state, Nuri al-Maliki will stay on as prime minister and Iraqiya will choose its candidate for parliament speaker," said government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh. He said the deal was between the National Alliance, which represents the main Shi'ite parties, and the Kurdish coalition, while Iraqiya's support hinged on its agreement over the posts of speaker and president. "Iraqiya has not agreed for the moment over which side will have the parliament speaker's position and which side will have the presidency," Dabbagh added. Former premier Iyad Allawi's Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, which won the most seats in the March 7 election but fell short of a parliamentary majority, confirmed the deal and said discussions were continuing over those key posts. "There is a draft agreement with the Iraqiya party, but there are still some problems to resolve," Dabbagh said, adding that parliament would meet on Thursday to choose a speaker, the first step towards forming a new government. The spokesman added that both Maliki and Allawi would on Monday attend a ceremony in Arbil, capital of the autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan, to announce the agreement formally. Dabbagh said the meeting would convene at 11am (1900 AEDT). Iraqiya MP Jamal al-Butikh said earlier his bloc had agreed to the power-sharing deal after it was assured that "no political decision would be made without its agreement". "Iraqiya will go to Arbil under Allawi's leadership and because the party has been given reassurance in real power-sharing," he told AFP. Butikh said it was unclear if the bloc would be offered the speaker's position or the presidency, although some Iraqiya members declared a preference for the latter now held by Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Iraqiya MP Alia Nusayef said Moqtada al-Sadr, a radical Shi'ite leader who has 40 seats in parliament, had also been invited to the Arbil meeting "because he brings equilibrium". Sadr had first held discussions with Allawi, but then went into a Shi'ite alliance with Maliki. Sunday's announcement came after Iraqi Kurdistan's regional president, Massud Barzani, said he had invited all political groups to meet on Monday in the Kurdish capital to resolve the crisis. Earlier on Sunday in Arbil, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called for a meeting of Iraqi parties on forming a government. "I'm in Arbil to discuss and possibly give advice to Baghdad and Arbil on the issue of forming a government, which we hope will happen soon," he said. Iraq's second general election since the 2003 US-led invasion ended in deadlock after none of the main parties won enough of the 325 seats in parliament to form a majority government. Parliament has since remained in hiatus, but on October 24 the supreme court ordered MPs to resume work and choose a new speaker. The constitution stipulates that a speaker, president and prime minister must be elected in that order. The Iraqiya bloc narrowly won the election with 91 seats, closely followed by Maliki's State of Law Alliance with 89. Neither was able to muster the 163-seat parliamentary majority required, despite intense back-door negotiations with various Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish blocs which also won seats. Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party and Talabani's PUK, which together won 43 seats, had entered into an alliance with Goran and two Kurdish Islamic parties that won six places. Their bloc gave the alliance the muscle to decide who would form the next government, but Goran's exit has since weakened their position. Goran, with eight seats, pulled out of the alliance last month after its proposed reforms for greater democracy in the autonomous Kurdistan region were ignored. After allying with other Shi'ite groups Maliki still needed around 20 more seats to form a majority. The agreement with the Kurdish coalition grants him more than twice that number. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=159516

Thx Chief!!!!

DUBAI: Iraqi leaders are expected to announce a national unity government at the end of a conference of main political parties that opened yesterday, heralding the end of an eight-month stalemate since elections in March. Reports suggest a deal has been brokered under which the Shiite leader Nouri al-Maliki will remain prime minister, Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, will remain president and the largely Sunni Iraqiya alliance will nominate the parliamentary speaker. However, the involved parties said no deal had been finalised. A surge in sectarian violence and growing anger over the MPs having met only once since polling day have put party leaders under increasing pressure to seal a power-sharing deal. Advertisement: Story continues below A spokesman for Mr Maliki said an agreement had been struck for him to remain in office. The Iraqiya bloc, his main opponent, which won the most seats in the elections, denied that a deal had been reached or that names had been agreed for individual posts. But Maysoun al-Damalouji, the bloc's principal spokeswoman, said negotiations had begun. The Iraqiya leader, Iyad Allawi, a secular Sunni, had previously said he would not serve under Mr Maliki. But he has been unable to win acceptance for any other candidate, while Mr Maliki's Shiite State of Law party, with Iranian support, has been building a coalition that could have excluded Mr Allawi from power altogether. The US was also keen for a deal to be arranged, fearing Iranian domination of any government without Iraqiya. Iraqiya won the overwhelming support of the Sunni minority in the elections and it was feared that if it were shut out of the government, militant groups would use the threat of Shiite domination as a recruiting tool. State of Law won the backing of the Sadrists, the militant Shiites whose leader, Moqtada al-Sadr, lives in Iran. Mr Maliki's spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, said Mr Allawi had been asked to name the speaker. ''There is a draft agreement with the Iraqiya party, but there are still some problems to resolve,'' Mr Dabbagh said. ''Iraqiya has not agreed for the moment over which side will have the parliament speaker's position and which side will have the presidency.'' He said that in the draft, Mr Maliki would remain prime minister and Mr Talabani, from the Kurdish bloc, which holds the balance of power, would remain president, a less important role. Ms Damalouji said Iraqiya would attend a conference of the parties in the Kurdish autonomous region city of Arbil, at which a deal was expected to be announced. Parliament would then reopen on Thursday. - A suicide bomber who targeted a bus carrying pilgrims from Iran killed at least 10 people and injured 38 in the Iraqi shrine city of Karbala yesterday. Richard Spencer November 9, 2010 http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/deal-could-end-iraqi-parliamentary-stalemate-20101108-17kk9.html

http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2010/11/govt1759.htm

Arbil, Iraq - The heads of Iraq's main political parties held their first joint meeting in eight months on Monday in a 'positive' atmosphere and pledged to continue talks aimed at breaking the country's political deadlock. 'The atmosphere inside was more positive than expected,' said Massoud Barzani, a leading politician and president of the northern autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq, where the meeting was held. The next round of talks will take place Tuesday in the capital Baghdad. 'The meeting paved the way for the steps to come, after it broke the psychological barrier between the leaders of the blocs,' Barzani told reporters after the meeting in Arbil. He however cautioned that the deep differences between the parties would take more time to resolve, saying that for now the leaders were focused on agreeing on 'key issues and priorities.' The March 7 general elections in Iraq failed to produce a clear winner. The parties have repeatedly been unsuccessful in forming a coalition government over the last eight months, with tensions between the blocs running high. The stalemate has caused a complete halt to legislation on all matters, including a deteriorating security situation and crumbling infrastructure. 'Meetings and dialogue will create a constructive environment to reach a national agreement,' Barzani said in his opening speech. The Arbil talks, however, caused another delay in convening parliament. The legislative body was supposed to meet on Monday, for what would have been only its second session since the elections, but that was being deferred to Thursday, with politicians hoping their talks would lead to progress. Lawmakers in the current parliament held only one session, in July, and that lasted under 20 minutes, as they could not appoint people to the country's key posts, including the presidency and premiership, without a coalition deal. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his main rival, former premier Iyad Allawi, also attended the Arbil meeting, along with Ammar al- Hakim, head of the country's main Shiite party, and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who heads a Kurdish bloc. The Kurdish parties could end up holding the swing-vote in forming a new government. 'We need to open a new chapter,' al-Maliki said in a speech. 'We look forward to a new beginning to build our country, our people as well as infrastructure and services.' The tensions between Allawi and al-Maliki form a major fault-line in Iraqi politics. Allawi insists he has the right to form a new government because his Iraqiya list won the most seats in parliament, with two more than al-Maliki's group. However, the incumbent premier has been more successful in building alliances, though he is still several seats short of a majority. Reports have suggested that al-Maliki could end up heading a wide national unity government, as part of a power sharing deal between Iraq's diverse political, ethnic and religious groups, though the idea still has its doubters. 'We need to define the meaning partnership ... A real, balanced and equal partnership,' Allawi told the meeting. 'It means that none would have the upper hand.' Iraq has seen increased violence in recent months, as the political process remains stalled. Last week, more than 170 people died in a wave of attacks across the country. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1597434.php/Iraqi-leaders-hold-positive-meeting-on-breaking-deadlock-Roundup

IRBIL, Iraq — Leaders of all the main Iraqi political blocs met Monday for the first time since March elections in a new push to break the eight-month deadlock over forming a new government. Car bombs struck the country's two holiest cities and killed 14 people, a reminder that insurgents remain determined to destabilize Iraq. The 90-minute meeting of political leaders in the northern town of Irbil kicked off three days of negotiations that could signal the deeply divided political blocs are close to a power-sharing agreement. However, officials said there are still major obstacles to overcome. Since inconclusive March 7 elections, insurgents have tried to exploit political uncertainty over the new government with periodic violence. Monday's blasts were the third major attacks since last week, following the slaughter of more than 50 Christians in a Baghdad church and a string of 13 coordinated bombings across Baghdad that killed more than 70 people. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is fighting to keep his job, was among the leaders who attended the meeting in Irbil. His main rival, Ayad Allawi, was also there. Allawi heads the Sunni-backed Iraqiya coalition that won 91 seats, more than any other party, in the parliamentary election. Al-Maliki's bloc took second with 89 seats. But no party won an outright majority in the 325-seat parliament and the blocs have spent the past eight months haggling to form alliances that could lead to a government inclusive enough so that it will not trigger a new outbreak of sectarian strife that just a few years ago brought Iraq to the brink of civil war. Al-Maliki described the meeting as a new push forward by the political blocs to reach an agreement. "We need to open a new page and leave the past behind," he said. Others who attended pointed to difficulties in forging an agreement between political parties that have in the past fought their battles on the streets and still view each other with deep suspicion. Vice President Tareq al-Hashimi, a Sunni from the Iraqiya alliance, warned that negotiating committees who have been meeting for weeks before the Irbil summit had left many of the most contentious issues to the leaders to work out. "Based on that, I do not think that the leaders will be able to solve these sticking points because they need a lot of discussion and study," he said. "I do not know how the leaders, today and tomorrow, will be able to discuss this list of sensitive and strategic issues during this short period of time." After the nationally televised meeting concluded, the political leaders agreed to meet again in Baghdad the following day before flying out of Irbil. Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdish Autonomous Region in northern Iraq, lobbied for the meeting to be held in Irbil, seat of the Kurdish government. Also in attendance in the large auditorium were Ammar al-Hakim, who heads the Iranian-backed Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, and Iraq's other vice president, who is a Shiite, Adel Abdul-Mahdi. Two separate car bombings struck Iraq's two holiest cities, Karbala and Najaf, the sites of important shrines revered by the country's Shiite majority. Hours before the political leaders met, seven pilgrims were killed in a car bomb blast in the holy Shiite city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of the Iraqi capital. Police and hospital officials said dead included six Iranians and one Iraqi and that at least 35 others were wounded in the blast, including Iranian and Pakistani nationals. The car bomb exploded at a parking lot in central Karbala that is used by pilgrims traveling between Iraq's holy sites. Such parking lots have often been targeted by Sunni militants unable to get close to the holy shrines due to beefed up security. Later Monday a suicide bomber blew himself up just 500 yards from the shrine of Imam Ali, one of the most revered Shiite saints and a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, killing seven people including two Iranian pilgrims, according to police and hospital officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/08/signs-of-political-progress-as-iraqi-leaders-meet/

Iraq's most influential leaders are meeting in the Kurdish north, but it is unclear if the talks can bring an end to eight months of political deadlock. Kurdish regional President Masoud Barzani welcomed Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and former prime minister Ayad Allawi to Irbil Monday for talks aimed at forming a government. Barzani called the meeting a milestone moment, but the current and former prime ministers showed few indications they are ready to agree to any deal. Maliki called for an increased effort to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure, while Allawi talked about the need for real partners in political decision-making. Allawi's Sunni-backed Iraqiya alliance edged out Maliki's State of Law bloc in parliamentary elections in March, but so far both parties have failed in their attempts to form a government. Some politicians have been telling media sources that both sides are close to a power-sharing deal. Others have denied any deal has been reached. U.S. Secretary of State Clinton refused to answer questions Monday about whether a deal was in place. But she told reporters during a visit to Melbourne, Australia the time has come for Iraq to finally form what she called an inclusive government During a town hall-style meeting Sunday in Mumbai, India, U.S. President Barack Obama said it was taking "way too long" for Iraqi leaders to form the country's government. Iraq's Supreme Court last month ordered the parliament to resume its sessions and elect a new leader. Several Iraqi human rights groups have filed a lawsuit in an effort to force members of Iraq's parliament to return at least $40 million received in salaries since elected in March. The group says it will launch a legal battle against the 325 lawmakers who have convened only once since the March 7 polls - for a 20-minute swearing-in session. http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Iraqi-Political-Leaders-Meet-But-Political-Deadlock-Remains-106878764.html

Leaders of Iraq's main political blocs met on Monday in the northern city of Irbil in a rare face-to-face gathering that could signal progress in breaking the country's political deadlock. Just hours before the long-awaited gathering, a car bomb in the holy city of Karbala killed seven Shiite pilgrims, including six Iranians, underlying the risk to Iraq's security as politicians argue over who will lead the next government. Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdish Autonomous Region in northern Iraq, lobbied for the meeting to be held in his hometown Irbil. He opened Monday's gathering with a call to Iraqi politicians to work together. ''It is a historic moment with deep meaning to meet together to discuss and agree on the country's future and to develop it in a way that meets the ambitions of the Iraqi people,'' he said. The meeting was a who's who of the Iraqi political scene and the first time all the main political leaders have met publicly since the March 7 election. Among the crowd in the Irbil conference hall Monday were current Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the man who would like to take his job, Ayad Allawi. Allawi heads the Sunni-backed Iraqiya coalition that won 91 seats in the parliament to al-Maliki's 89 seats. With neither side winning a majority in the 325-seat parliament, an eight-month period of intense political negotiations followed the March polls. The head of the Iranian-backed Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, Ammar al-Hakim, as well as senior members of the anti-American Sadrist alliance were also in attendance. Hours before the political leaders met in Irbil, seven pilgrims were killed in a car bomb blast in Karbala, 80 kilometres south of the Iraqi capital. Police and hospital officials said the seven were six Iranians and one Iraqi and that at least 35 others were wounded in the blast, including Iranian and Pakistani nationals. The car bomb exploded at a parking lot in central Karbala used by pilgrims traveling between Iraq's holy sites. Such parking lots have often been targeted by Sunni militants unable to get close to the holy shrines due to beefed up security. http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/4322345/Iraqi-leaders-meet

Opinion-Home Home > Opinion - Columnists Enlarge TextEmailPrintReprintShareView One Page WITH PHOTONO PHOTO FACEBOOKYAHOONEWSVINEDEL.ICIO.US Sweet deal for Iraqi legislators MIKE PETERS / Dayton Daily News WHAT OTHERS SAY Published: Monday, November 8, 2010 at 3:00 a.m. Last Modified: Friday, November 5, 2010 at 2:57 p.m. ( page of 2 ) This editorial is by Dale McFeatters of Scripps Howard News Service: If you’re looking for a job with great pay and perks and light duties — none at all, in fact, since June — you could do worse than be one of the 325 members of Iraq’s parliament. Its members receive a basic monthly salary of $10,000 and a living allowance of $12,500 — this totals $270,000 a year in a country where somebody making $7,800 annually is considered well paid. And — oh, how the GOP tax cutters must envy this — they pay only 6 percent of their base salary in income taxes. On top of that, there’s a one-time $90,000 stipend to cover the other expenses of their four years in office. “But wait,” as we who brought them representative democracy like to say, “there’s more.” The Associated Press says the lawmakers get a $600 per diem for travel in or outside of Iraq and get to stay free at the well-appointed and safe Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad’s Green Zone whether or not parliament is in session. And when, as all political careers must, theirs come to an end, they retire on 80 percent of their salary for life. Oh, and they and their families get to keep their diplomatic passports — meaning you can skip annoying little international technicalities like customs — for eight years. Even when they were in session this year the Iraqi lawmakers hardly kept up a killing pace. The AP says they met for all of 20 minutes, long enough for a reading from the Quran, the singing of the national anthem and the swearing-in of new members. The members then voted to keep parliament in session and just not attend, a pledge they’ve faithfully kept for more than four months. They may begin meeting again, but only because the Supreme Court — theirs, not ours — ordered them to. Cynics might say that a legislature that is well paid to do nothing might not be such a bad form of government. Whether this is a slur on our own fine lawmakers, we’ll find out when Congress returns to Washington a week from today. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20101108/OPINION/101109652/1070/opinion04?p=1&tc=pg

Reuters 08 November 2010 15:34:03 Oman Time Secretary of State Hillarious Clinton urged Iraq on Monday to develop an inclusive power-sharing government as Iraqi political factions prepared to hold a meeting Email the story Print the story RSS feed Search MELBOURNE: Secretary of State Hillarious Clinton urged Iraq on Monday to develop an inclusive power-sharing government as Iraqi political factions prepared to hold a meeting that could break an eight-month deadlock. Iraq's rival political groups are closing in on a power-sharing deal in which Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shi'ite, would remain in place for a second term. But a Sunni-backed cross-sectarian alliance that won the most votes in the otherwise inconclusive March 7 election still needs to be brought on board. "Over the course of the last eight months, we've had many indications that they were close to an agreement, they were on the brink of government formation, they had worked out their power-sharing arrangements, only not to see that come to fruition," a cautious Clinton told reporters during a visit to Australia for diplomatic and defense talks. Leaders of Iraq's Kurdish, Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim blocs were due to meet in the Kurdish regional capital of Arbil on Monday to try to strike a final deal on a national unity government. Iraq has been without a new government since the March election failed to produce a clear winner. Maliki has struck deals with Shi'ite allies, minority Kurds and small Sunni blocs, and several dissenting lawmakers from the Sunni-backed Iraqiya alliance have also pledged to back him. But he needs to win over the senior leaders of Iraqiya, headed by former premier Iyad Allawi, if the next government is to stand a chance of securing peace after more than seven years of sectarian warfare triggered after the U.S.-led invasion. U.S. officials fear excluding Iraqiya from power could ignite Sunni anger and reinvigorate a weakened but still lethal Sunni Islamist-led insurgency. The eight-month vacuum has sparked concerns of a rise in violence just as sectarian strife recedes and U.S. forces scale back their presence ahead of a full withdrawal next year. "It is fair to say that we have been consistently urging the Iraqis to have an inclusive government that reflects the interests and needs of the various segments of the population, that there had to be legitimate power-sharing amongst different groups and individuals," Clinton said. Allawi told Britain's Guardian newspaper last week that he could leave power-sharing talks and go into opposition. He said he did not believe a deal to form a national unity government with Maliki and other rivals could work. But Iraqiya members told Reuters that a group of at least 30 of its 91 lawmakers intended to join a Maliki-led government. Under the emerging deal, Maliki would remain prime minister and incumbent President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, would also retain his post. Allawi or others in Iraqiya would be given roles in government with expanded powers over economic policy, defense and foreign affairs. Iraqiya would also get the speaker's post in parliament. http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=40050