We can afford Medicare for all.
We can afford debt-free public colleges and universities.
We can afford to provide job opportunities for every American.
We can afford to fix our crumbling infrastructure.
We just choose to spend that money on our military interventions.
We can afford debt-free public colleges and universities.
We can afford to provide job opportunities for every American.
We can afford to fix our crumbling infrastructure.
We just choose to spend that money on our military interventions.
This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for Wednesday:
After years of fighting in #Iraq, the battle is over.
But life still remains a daily struggle for the 11 million people still in need of assistance in the country.
I'm sorry, ICRC -- who appears to have dropped the "Red Crescent" -- when did foreign troops leave Iraq? Oh, right, not yet.
And when did the violence stop?
Oh, right. Not yet.
AFP reports today that the Islamic State has kidnapped 30 people and that they have killed 7 farmers or shepherds. IRAQI NEWS adds, "Three truck drivers were killed two days ago in a military attack launched by Islamic State on a road between Baghdad and Kirkuk."
On the topic of kidnappings, Margaret Griffish (ANTIWAR.COM) notes that kidnappings by ISIS have increased "in recent weeks" and that Mosul alone has seen at least 46.
Last night, the Senate voted 85-10 to give the US military $716 billion -- its biggest defense budget outside the height of the Iraq War, in 2019 dollars
washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2…
Meanwhile former prime minister and forever thug Nouri al-Maliki plots. ALSUMARIA reports that Nouri is said to be scrambling frantically to put together a proposal that would have other blocs joining his State of Law -- the intent being for him to again become prime minister. ALL IRAQ NEWS notes that the current prime minister, Hayder al-Abadi, met with Iraq's president Fuad Masum and the two were in agreement that any obstacles to the formation of a new government should be overcome.
May 12th, Iraq held elections. First place went to Moqtada al-Sadr's bloc, second place to the militia. Since then some have whined for a 'do over.'
Learn how to teach about modern Iraq with our new podcast episode! Dr. Muhamed Almaliky joins us to discuss what the 2018 elections suggest about voters' wishes, while Nicholas Ristaino explains approaches for cultivating an understanding of modern Iraq.
buff.ly/2tanjwC
Shi'ite cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr announced an alliance with the head of the militias Hadi al-Ameri meaning the two biggest vote getters now have a coalition. This would explain Nouri's desperate scramble to thwart them since their alliance has slowed/stopped the cry for a do over. It's now been a month and 8 days since the elections and still Iraq remains without a new leader. ASHAR AL-AWSAT notes:
As the countdown starts to the end of Iraq's parliament term on June 30, fears that the country might enter into a state of constitutional vacuum arise, leading to chaos and opening the door to various possibilities.
In the meantime, various political parties rush towards the formation of the "largest bloc,” to stay in power for the next four years.
Iraq’s President’s Advisor Amir Kanani suggested that "violation of the constitution will take place instead of a constitutional vacuum as rumored.”
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the constitution refers to the existence of the authorities and the organization of its functions and powers.
“The absence of one of the authorities is a violation of this constitution, “including the disruption of the work of parliament or the termination of its work ahead of schedule, contrary to the constitutional mechanisms.”
It's an interesting article but one that ignores Iraq's post 2003 history. For example, in 2010, elections were held in March but it wasn't until November that a prime minister-designate was named and December that a government was formed. That political stalemate resulted from the refusal of Nouri al-Maliki to step down. It was only ended when the US negotiated The Erbil Agreement which allowed the loser (Nouri) to have four more years as prime minister.
Michael Young (CARNEGIE MIDDLE EAST CENTER) notes the views of several commentators on Moqtada al-Sadr and we'll include this one:
Loulouwa Al Rachid | Co-director of the Program on Civil-Military Relations in Arab States at the Carnegie Middle East Center
There is no doubt that Muqtada
al-Sadr’s narrow victory in Iraq’s May 12 legislative elections poses a
serious challenge to Iranian influence in the country, but also one that
remains manageable for Tehran. Building on his immense personal
popularity and his credentials as heir to a prestigious Arab nationalist
and Iraqi nationalist clerical dynasty, Sadr has increasingly upped his
populist rhetoric against Iran. His followers immediately celebrated
their victory by chanting, “Iran out, out! Baghdad remains free.” Since
then his aides have echoed the widespread resentment against Iranian
interference, stressing the unchecked flow of Iranian imports, to the
detriment of whatever is left of local Iraqi production. They have also
accused Iran of a Machiavellian plan to destroy Iraq’s youth by
inundating the neighboring southern governorates with drugs. Add to
these accusations the still unresolved issues of water, oilfields, and
border settlements between Iraq and Iran and the balance of Iraqi
politics could possibly tilt in favor of Tehran’s enemies, including the
United States and its Gulf allies.
However, Iran also knows the
Sadrist movement intimately, having militarily and ideologically trained
most of its commanders since 2003. The Iranians have in the past kept
the movement under control through a ruthless policy of divide and rule,
with some of the most prominent Sadrists defecting to become the new
leaders of the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces. The lack of
discipline within the Sadrist movement, in particular the absence of
credible middle-ranking cadres, and the poor performance of its
parliamentary bloc in the past only make Iran’s task of containing the
Sadrists easier. And if Muqtada al-Sadr resorts to his favored tactic,
namely street politics and militia threats, Iran could unleash its own
proxies against him. After all, they are organic heirs, albeit
illegitimate ones, of Muqtada’s late father, Ayatollah Mohammed Sadeq
al-Sadr, who was murdered by Saddam Hussein’s regime in 1999.
#WorldRefugeeDay
, thousands of families throughout the world are forced to flee for their lives every day. @UNHABITAT stands & supports the lives of #refugees by providing adequate & durable #shelter to those #displaced, & assist them to #renovate their #homes upon return.
In the US, many will use the moment to ponder immigrants attempting to enter the US via its southern borders. That's a very limited view of refugees.
If you voted for the Iraq sanctions and the subsequent invasion of Iraq, if you supported the three bombs an hour dropped by the crooner Obama but are now crying in congress and parliament over separated children in America, then you are a hypocrite. That’s all. #Trump
Exactly. The US-led Iraq War created the largest refugee crisis in the Middle East since 1948. That crisis only grows. Some time and thought today should be given to Iraqi refugees.
#Kurdistan-#Iraq hosts 1.3M IDPs and refugees. We are committed to our rights-based policy that sees refugees and IDPs given the same rights as their host communities. Nevertheless, there are enormous strains on the KRG’s ability to provide full services for all #WorldRefugeeDay
The Kurdistan Regional Government appeals to the donor countries, UN Agencies and international NGOs to invest in the sustainable and rights-based model that the KRG has adopted. Visit jcc.gov.krd to learn more about the KRG refugee response #WorldRefugeeDay
@KurdistanThe following community sites -- plus Cindy Sheehan, PACIFICA EVENING NEWS and Jody Watley -- updated:
New content at THIRD:
- Truest statement of the week
- Truest statement of the week II
- A note to our readers
- Editorial: Only SomeLivesMatter apparently
- TV: Is NETFLIX the new DUPONT?
- Crawl back under your rock, Kurt
- 10 To Read (Stan)
- Read a book?
- Aunt Crabby loses it
- This edition's playlist
- Senator Murray: Sessions’ Rollback of Asylum for D...
- Paralyzed Veterans of America Commends President T...
- Highlights
