Comments on Informed Comment: Maliki to Present Partial Cabinet Bombing in East...

What is the new prime minister' interests in findi...

2006-05-20T23:27:00.000-04:00

What is the new prime minister' interests in finding new heads for defense and interior? As it stands, he has the two most significan portfolios in his direct control, as well as his legislative position. If he can manage to juggle the responsibilities with some degree of competence, doesn't he become the strongest figure in the country? If things break down further, isn't he placed to become a strongman?

Maliki - the new Iraqi PMComprensive info on the n...

2006-05-20T20:40:00.000-04:00

Maliki - the new Iraqi PM

Comprensive info on the new Iraqi PM al-Maliki can be found in the article by Juan Cole and in . wiki. Basically, exactly the same credentials that made his ascend to power possible, now make his rule difficult to say the least. From one side, only a religious hardliner can be a PM in modern Iraq. From the other side, this makes any compromise with the Kurds and the Sunnis extremely difficult - not to mention different Shia factions.

Next, his Dawa party is relatively weak, it can rule only by consensus with other parties. Finally, and most importantly, overall situation in Iraq is so volatile that any effective central rule is virtually impossible regardless of who heads the government in Baghdad.

Now, after innumerable delays, al-Maliki finally managed to form the government, but only in part, without force structures. Critical posts of defence and interior ministers are still to be filled. In the process, he lost the support of certain Shiite and Sunni factions, but still managed to keep the alliance with the Sadrists.

Recent ANews cartoon says it all about the Iraqi political process. No, it is not Vietnam - back then, the US had a corrupt, but genuinely pro-Western ally. All neocons have now is a Frankenstein of their own making. This is the sad fact their PR wants to conceal.

The "Iraqi Military" is a misnomer. There are only...

2006-05-20T13:34:00.000-04:00

The "Iraqi Military" is a misnomer. There are only disparate units under the control of the Pentagon's Imperialist; Likudist; and Christian fundamentalist people. Their main aim is to keep it weak enough for Israel and a potential Gulf War III.

The bad news for the Pentagon is that its people in Iraq will soon have their PowerPoint and Excell files shoved where the sun dont shine. They will be "asked" to clear off rapidly (aka FO.)

The new government can restore order quickly by setting a time-table for the end of the occupation and by getting tough with the leaders of the militias who are organizing the crimes. They are Iraq's new leaders, put there by the occupation either as accomplices or to keep them quite.