Senior Iraqi figures warn of dictatorship

[k98nights]

Senior Iraqi figures warn of dictatorship

28 December 2011 | 10:55:03 PM | Source: AAP

Leading Iraqi figures have accused Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of trying to assemble a new dictatorship that risked plunging the country into civil war now that US troops have withdrawn.

In an opinion piece published in the New York Times, Iyad Allawi, Osama al-Nujaifi and Rafa al-Essawi, leaders of the Iraqiya bloc, accused Maliki, a religious Shi'ite, of using security forces and the judiciary to hound his mainly Sunni opponents.

"The prize, for which so many American soldiers believed they were fighting, was a functioning democratic and nonsectarian state," they wrote.

"But Iraq is now moving in the opposite direction - toward a sectarian autocracy that carries with it the threat of devastating civil war."

Iraq has been locked in a political crisis since the last US troops withdrew this month, with the government ordering the arrest of Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, who has fled to the country's autonomous Kurdish region.

The Iraqiya leaders said Maliki had "laid siege" to their party, "with the blessing of a politicised judiciary and law enforcement system that have become virtual extensions of his personal office".

They went on to accuse Maliki of violating a power-sharing agreement reached a year ago that allowed for the formation of a national unity government.

The support of Iraqiya - which narrowly won the March 7, 2010 poll and garnered most of its seats in Sunni areas, is seen as vital to preventing a resurgence of violence.

The Sunni Arab minority dominated Saddam Hussein's regime and was the bedrock of the anti-US insurgency after the 2003 invasion.

The Iraqiya leaders called on the United States to condition its support for Maliki on his fulfillment of the power-sharing agreement and his "dissolving the unconstitutional entities through which he now rules".

"We are glad that your brave soldiers have made it home for the holidays and we wish them peace and happiness," they wrote.

"But as Iraq once again teeters on the brink, we respectfully ask America's leaders to understand that unconditional support for Mr Maliki is pushing Iraq down the path to civil war.

"Unless America acts rapidly to help create a successful unity government, Iraq is doomed."

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1615297/Senior-Iraqi-figures-warn-of-dictatorship?

[LeeB32]

Well, come on all of you, big strong men,

Uncle Sam needs your help again.

He's got himself in a terrible jam

Way down yonder in Iraqi land

So put down your books and pick up a gun,

We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

AGAIN

[k98nights]

Well, come on all of you, big strong men,

Uncle Sam needs your help again.

He's got himself in a terrible jam

Way down yonder in Iraqi land

So put down your books and pick up a gun,

We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

AGAIN

Country Joe & The Fish!

[Saved]

Country Joe & The Fish!

Wow " K " now your telling everyone OUR age !

Thanks for the post .......

[Stryker365]

"Unless America acts rapidly to help create a successful unity government, Iraq is doomed."

We can't even do that for ourselves, all our government will do is kick their can down the street too~!!~~~~

[ftruck7]

"Unless America acts rapidly to help create a successful unity government, Iraq is doomed."

We can't even do that for ourselves, all our government will do is kick their can down the street too~!!~~~~

I wish it was 1 or 2 people, and we could get rid of them.

IMO it is every last one of them! They all have a hand out!

[tim5400]

Maliki "strongarmed" his way into the PM seat...what made people think he was going to play nice after that!!!.....we americans were fooled again by a gangster from the Middle East...when are we gonna learn....JMO..

[Striker1]

"Unless America acts rapidly to help create a successful unity government, Iraq is doomed."

We can't even do that for ourselves, all our government will do is kick their can down the street too~!!~~~~

yeah, no joke. Let's quit building other nations and try to rebuild our own. I don't mind working, when their is work to do. Bartending sucks for making money, no matter how many bottles you can flip and tricks you can do. People just are not tipping. May I take this time for a (PSA). 10% was great for 1950 through 1980. Now they have a thing called tip share and that is 3.25% of your gross sales that comes out of a server's tips and now your servers and bartender's have to pay for every credit card that is swiped. I don't even own a credit card for that reason alone, yet we have to pay for someone else's bad choices. Usually ends up being around $15-$20 bucks a night. And to think I actually owned an honest business up till last year but had to give it up. People can't afford to even get there A/C and heater fixed. Sorry this week has been a rough one. I actually went to work on Christmas eve and the tips where so bad they didn't even cover my tipshare so I actually worked for 12 hours and it cost me money out of my pocket to go to work. What a world.

[Stryker365]

yeah, no joke. Let's quit building other nations and try to rebuild our own. I don't mind working, when their is work to do. Bartending sucks for making money, no matter how many bottles you can flip and tricks you can do. People just are not tipping. May I take this time for a (PSA). 10% was great for 1950 through 1980. Now they have a thing called tip share and that is 3.25% of your gross sales that comes out of a server's tips and now your servers and bartender's have to pay for every credit card that is swiped. I don't even own a credit card for that reason alone, yet we have to pay for someone else's bad choices. Usually ends up being around $15-$20 bucks a night. And to think I actually owned an honest business up till last year but had to give it up. People can't afford to even get there A/C and heater fixed. Sorry this week has been a rough one. I actually went to work on Christmas eve and the tips where so bad they didn't even cover my tipshare so I actually worked for 12 hours and it cost me money out of my pocket to go to work. What a world.

Brother I feel your pain, I had to shout my business down too in October, Two of my daughters are waitress part time and go to collage, they like yourself are making very little at the end of a day. Thank God they are living here at home or they would not make it because my revenue stream was cut off. We are still better off then most but that may not last much longer. Last night my wife and I were watching the news about the fat cats in Washington's wealth has risen 15% and the average American's wealth has gone down 8%. I will not even say out loud how much I've lost in the last 6 months it would make all of us sick. Brother I hope you and others out there will band together to try and make a difference in this coming year. God bless you and all that are feeling the pain.

[FishmanTx]

Well, come on all of you, big strong men,

Uncle Sam needs your help again.

He's got himself in a terrible jam

Way down yonder in Iraqi land

So put down your books and pick up a gun,

We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

AGAIN

and it's 1...2...3 what are we fightin' for?

Don't ask me I don't give a damn

Let's stop this new Sadaam.

and it's 5...6...7 ain't Iraq just great?

Well ain't no time to relax at home

Whoopee! It's a new Jihad!

Yeah I know, it sux... LOL!!

[Striker1]

Brother I feel your pain, I had to shout my business down too in October, Two of my daughters are waitress part time and go to collage, they like yourself are making very little at the end of a day. Thank God they are living here at home or they would not make it because my revenue stream was cut off. We are still better off then most but that may not last much longer. Last night my wife and I were watching the news about the fat cats in Washington's wealth has risen 15% and the average American's wealth has gone down 8%. I will not even say out loud how much I've lost in the last 6 months it would make all of us sick. Brother I hope you and others out there will band together to try and make a difference in this coming year. God bless you and all that are feeling the pain.

I am so trying to create a server's union. We have to do something to get the old laws changed for servers. These Corporations literally get away not only free labor, but take part of server's tips to. When you pay $2.69 for a glass of pepsi. Come on. I know what the numbers are. The laws have to get changed as specially if the wealthy are getting wealthier and poor are getting poorer. Fact: Every server I work with has some type of college degree. It has become the running joke in the serving industry. We address each other by our degree's what ever they may be. It makes us all laugh and that is what life is about. By the way a restaurant has less than a penny in the Pepsi I mentioned. Stryker I am sorry for your loss on the business. It sucks bad. I owned a Hvacr repair company. I thought people would always need heat and air. But taxes are so high on a small business it is impossible.

[endeavor1]

Wow! Is this what smoke and mirrors look like? Wow!

[Footer]

Wow! Is this what smoke and mirrors look like? Wow!

I'm starting to think the only smoke and mirrors we saw, was Iraq portraying to the world that they'd actually behave after the US left! What a shame...