Talks Fail Between Leading Iraqi Parties

[k98nights]

BAGHDAD -- A potential deal to form a grand coalition between the biggest vote getters in Iraq's national elections is dead, according to a prominent politician involved in the negotiations.

Hassan al-Alawi, a member of the secular Iraqiya list, said his efforts to bring together Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite list and his own list, headed by Ayad Allawi, will never come to fruition.

"Not now and not ever, because the Shia and Kurdish parties will not allow it," he said.

More than three months after Iraqis went to the polls and gave Iraqiya a narrow plurality over al-Maliki's State of Law list, neither party has succeeded in securing enough parliament seats to form a government. Formation of a government appears to be weeks away, at best.

There was hope for a grand alliance after al-Alawi brokered a recent meeting between Allawi and al-Maliki, reportedly the first time the two men had spoken in years. Al-Alawi now says it was little more than a photo opportunity.

Al-Maliki's group has courted religious Shiite parties heavily influenced by Iran and the Kurdish block. Some of those parties have militias accused of running death squads during Iraq's sectarian civil war, and some worry that if he succeeds in forming a mostly Shiite government, sectarianism will become further entrenched in Iraqi politics.

A State of Law victory also may alienate Sunnis, who overwhelmingly voted for the Iraqiya list and now feel al-Maliki is working to nullify their votes. For the U.S., with troops scheduled to pull out completely at the end of 2011, it would be another indicator of the influence that Iran, a Shiite theocracy, has gained in Iraq at the expense of waning American clout.

Hajim al-Hassani, a member of parliament elected on the State of Law ticket, confirmed that negotiations between his party and members of Shiite parties, including a bloc loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, are far enough along that the various parties will soon submit their choices for prime minister.

"This is the final thing. We will be the biggest bloc and we've sent documents saying we are united," he said. "We are the ones who will form the government."

Picking a prime minister could fuel a rancorous debate, though. Many members of the smaller Shiite parties that al-Maliki is counting on to form his coalition despise him for crushing Sadr's militia, the Mahdi Army, and some have demanded that al-Maliki step down in favor of a compromise candidate. But al-Maliki has held firm, and Iraqi political watchers say Iran is leaning on the Sadrists and members of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council to accept al-Maliki as prime minister.

In the opaque politics of Iraq, with myriad backroom dealings, nothing is assured. Indeed, al-Hassani added a long caveat to his statement that State of Law won't form a government with Iraqiya.

"Nobody can guess the politician's situation," he said. "There are always surprises. I can't tell you that it (negotiations with Iraqiya) is dead. We are far from each other but maybe we can come together another time."

As the parties dither ever longer without an agreement, anger is rising in the streets. Across religious and ethnic lines, Iraqis see their government as weak, corrupt, and painfully out of touch with everyday life in the country. While most politicians live behind high-walled mansions in safe neighborhoods, with personal security and reliable electricity, regular Iraqis still often lack the basics.

The minister of electricity, Karim Wahid, resigned Monday following demonstrations by hundreds of people in Nasiriyah, in southern Iraq, over power shortages.

Even in the capital, power is still on for only a few hours a day in the searing summer heat, garbage fills the streets and basic services are dysfunctional at best. That's to say nothing of the insurgent bombs and spiraling violent crime that still plague the city.

"There is no democracy in Iraq," said Adnan, a security manager at a Baghdad amusement park who gave only his first name out of fear of possible repercussions. "All the politicians are thieves."

By Heath Druzin

http://www.aina.org/news/20100622191907.htm

[kingfish]

I read all the way down this article and the only thing I disagree with is that there is no "DEMOCRACY' in Iraq because of the crooked polititians....

LOOK AT AMERICA..... we have a democracy and MOST OF OUR POLITITIANS ARE CROOKS.... whats the difference!

LOL

Thanks for the post K98, yours are some of the most respected.

My name is Kingfish and I approved this message!

Kingfish

Edited June 23, 2010 by kingfish

[Squaredaway]

Kingfish:

You're absolutely right. Generations of Iraqis have been oppressed, suppressed and mutilated so much that the people who are now in their government are like the child raised by wolves who are thrown into society with nobody to guide him. The country has the same conditions as in the year 1. Our country got rid of one despot only to open it up to a bunch of hyenas from within, who, without any controls or restraints put on them, are fighting over the carcass. Obviously, the position that's now being taken by the meek observers from our State Department, the U.N. and our allies is to respect their "sovereignty" which they haven't even been given back yet (as long as they're under Chapter 7). We are either too afraid to step in to bring order to their government - with military force, if necessary - or else our own American elitists and other members of the global overlord organizations are getting their share of the "loot" while they can before the window closes.

Conversely, our country has been so prosperous for so long in our existence, that a lot of our people, mostly the uninformed liberals, socialists, communists and fanatical so called religious groups are fat and happy living lives of "entitlement" - as long as they're consistently getting their government, union, or big secular business paychecks for doing what are essentially menial jobs with ten layers of backup for each job. It's those people who couldn't care less how badly the country is being run, who's stealing the money or what direction we're being tricked into taking. Those people are the products of an education system that has been laid out for more than 75 years now that leaves out the important information and replaces it with misinformation and propaganda saying how the United States is a "baaaad" country and that we should be very apologetic and polite to all those countries who hate our guts. We've become the target for the global overlords to reduce our standard of living and to take control of our government, our economy (foremost) and our destiny. Now, it's our democracy that's being slam dunked by the serfs, puppets and enforcers of the global overlords. The overlords have systematically eroded the quality of our education system, our defense against crime, our ability to control corruption, drug dealing in America and the corporate sector. Our living standards are a lot worse than they were as recently as forty years ago, while the guys at the top are literally raiding the treasury or are receiving phenomenal monetary payoffs from the overlords' pitchmen (lobbyists) for making sure we become stupid, apathetic zombies who they think should be happy if we are given the "crumbs," while those elitists inside and from outside the U.S. drain our net worth and make us into one big McDonalds - as servants working for minimum wages - and with no care for our welfare. Innovations no longer exist in our country. Any new ideas we may have are bought by the overlords and are given to countries to develop cheap, imperfect products from those ideas that we buy from companies owned by the same overlords and our government officials who get paid off for allowing China and other countries - several of whom, until only recently, were our mortal enemies - do all the manufacturing leaving us with the service type jobs at whicht both spouses have to work to wind up each month behind in paying bills.

[kingfish]

Sorry to say, but you hit it on the head squaredaway... We the people have become way to reliant on the government and have slipped into laziness. What happend to the fighting spirit of our fathers and grandfathers who took this nation from an industrial nation to the leader of the free world.

More times than not, in todays world people are willing to say.... eeh someone else will take care of that. We have become lazy and the more that people rely on the government for their existance and their ENTITLEMENTS,,, the more controlled we will be. I ask you all, when we all decide that we will just take our entitlements and no one is willing to work... who is going to pay for it.. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE.... IT IS RIGHT NOW!.

The United States of America is the greatest nation on the planet... We have been the innovators of much of what has made our world what it is. We are now faced with much dispair and have been hurt. It is now our choice to either lay down and take what is given to us or FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL TO REGAIN OUR GREATNESS!

Our current administration is doing everything in its power to take us to a socialistic economy... They are doing all they can to limit our power so that others may take controll from us.

This country was formed by WE THE PEOPLE and by God it is going to have to be WE THE PEOPLE that take it back.

STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS AND YOUR COUNTRY AND VOTE FOR UNCHANGE IN NOVEMBER. Remember "CHANGE" is what got us to this point.

My name is Kingfish and I approved this message!

kingfish

[cgbrown]

As the parties dither ever longer without an agreement, anger is rising in the streets. Across religious and ethnic lines, Iraqis see their government as weak, corrupt, and painfully out of touch with everyday life in the country. While most politicians live behind high-walled mansions in safe neighborhoods, with personal security and reliable electricity, regular Iraqis still often lack the basics.

You could take this quote and apply to American instead of Iraqis leaders and it fits perfectly. Our politicians are out of touch with what basic americans need. Obama campaigned on the promise of change and all we are getting is the same ole run around. Gen. McCrystal was ousted from office for making off the cuff comments, and yet there is not a senator , or House of representivies personnel that has not done the same, and no one is yanking their job out from under them. You know the ole saying, 'if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen'... Obama over reacted and had a 'power tantrum' and ousted one of the perfectly reliable soldiers we have in the American military. His apology should have been accepted. How many times have past presidents and this one included had to ask for an apology to be accepted. Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.

[GrahamB]

Sorry to say, but you hit it on the head squaredaway... We the people have become way to reliant on the government and have slipped into laziness. What happend to the fighting spirit of our fathers and grandfathers who took this nation from an industrial nation to the leader of the free world.

THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE.... IT IS RIGHT NOW!.

Our current administration is doing everything in its power to take us to a socialistic economy... They are doing all they can to limit our power so that others may take controll from us.

This country was formed by WE THE PEOPLE and by God it is going to have to be WE THE PEOPLE that take it back.

STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS AND YOUR COUNTRY AND VOTE FOR UNCHANGE IN NOVEMBER. Remember "CHANGE" is what got us to this point.

Kingfisher, I agree with much of what you say, but Ifear you are wrong on a number of important points.

You say the current administartion is heading towards making USA a 'socialist economy'.

That is only partly true1 I am reminded of why we have unions (the labour variety). It is because we have some lousy bosses! Mixed with a little greed to be honest.

If the Democrats are heading towards a socialist economy it is, in large part, because the GOP has royally screwed the 'WE THE PEOPLE', over many years.

The answer does not in 'UNCHANGE'. The answer lies in taking back the power so that honesty is a rewarded virtue, and dishonesty, greed, pork-barrel politics, and economic self-interest (whether on a local, State or Federal level) are punished strongly, both in the Courts and in the Polls! The answer lies in "Directed Change". The answer lies in encouraging the entrepreneurs; encouraging those who create employment; encouraging those who help themselves; all without losing sight of those who literally cannot look after themselves. But with these folk, wherever possible, teach them to fish, don't just give them a Fillet-o fish!

[Telabiz]

I read all the way down this article and the only thing I disagree with is that there is no "DEMOCRACY' in Iraq because of the crooked polititians....

LOOK AT AMERICA..... we have a democracy and MOST OF OUR POLITITIANS ARE CROOKS.... whats the difference!

LOL

Thanks for the post K98, yours are some of the most respected.

My name is Kingfish and I approved this message!

Kingfish

Simply one , Organized chaos . Or at least The Ruse of same That is the simple difference