Senators warn Obama that Maliki may be leading Iraq back toward civil war
By Anne Gearan, Tuesday, October 29, 7:09 PM
A bipartisan group of foreign policy leaders in the Senate warned in unusually blunt terms Tuesday that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki may be pulling his country back toward civil war.
In a letter to President Obama timed for Maliki’s visit to Washington, the leaders of the Senate defense and foreign affairs committees said Maliki is contributing to what the lawmakers called an alarming slide toward sectarian violence compounded by the Syrian civil war next door.
Obama will see Maliki at the White House on Friday.
“Prime Minister Maliki’s mismanagement of Iraqi politics is contributing to the recent surge of violence,” Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wrote.
Maliki’s Shiite-led government is too dominated by Iran’s “malign influence” and its mistreatment of the Sunnis is pushing that minority group toward extremism, the senators charged.
“These were the same conditions that drove Iraq toward civil war during the last decade and we fear that fate could befall Iraq once again,” the letter said.
The Obama administration has tried without much success to foster a more inclusive government in Baghdad. That impasse is expected to be one major topic for Maliki’s meeting with the president. His request for more U.S. counterterrorism aid is the other.
Iraq wants to buy U.S.-made Apache helicopters, among other equipment.
The request is now before Congress, and the bipartisan Senate group appeared to endorse it.
Among the senators’ recommendations for Obama is greater counterterrorism aid for Iraq, to deal with the resurgence and expansion of the al-Qaeda affiliate in Iraq.
Iraq’s ambassador to the United States, Lukman Faily, said the security concerns would top Iraq’s agenda for meetings this week across the administration and in Congress.
He acknowledged U.S. concern about Iraq’s political balance, and the case Obama is likely to make to Maliki about the cost of excluding Sunnis.
Urgent sources: Kurdistan asked to vote on the Act of Union as a condition to vote on election law
2013/10/29 19:07
{Baghdad: Euphrates News} parliamentary sources revealed for the Kurdistan Alliance to provide to the demands of a new election law led to the surprise of the political blocs.
The sources said that the Euphrates News Agency {} that a meeting of the presidium of the House of Representatives and of Osama Najafi and Qusay al-Suhail and Aref Tayfur with leaders of political blocs and the members of the Legal Committee to discuss the electoral law.
The sources said Fuad Masum, head of the Kurdistan Alliance bloc and Khalid Huani Chairman of the Legal Committee for the Kurdistan submitted a new application represents drawers law on the formation of the Federation Council as a condition to vote on the election law, where such a request of a sudden the political blocs that they would like to discuss Problems of the election law.
The sources added that the Kurdistan Alliance student the Presidency Bamhala the very afternoon in order to give its final position on the Law of the election, but he did not give any positive signs about the position of the Electoral Act.
The Federation Council is the law of the controversial laws since the last session and did not be deciding Pfaqrath because of disagreements about it.
And regulates the Federation Council, which is the second chamber of the legislature regions where there is work in which representatives of the regions and governorates that are not organized into a Region as he has the powers of the presidency in the previous session in terms of the veto laws. Ended
Parliament turns its open 30 to vote on election law
30-10-2013 | (Voice of Iraq)
Range Press / Baghdad
The Council of Representatives, on Wednesday, its 30th legislative term of the first legislative year fourth headed by Osama Najafi and the presence of 270 deputies, and as decided to turn it into an open meeting, a source in the information department of the parliament that the meeting will vote on the draft law on parliamentary elections and the second reading of the law Unified Retirement, and the second reading of the draft law on universities and colleges.
The source said in an interview to (range Press), "The House of Representatives held its 30th legislative term of the first legislative year fourth headed by Osama Najafi and the presence of 270 deputies," noting that "the meeting will vote on the draft law on parliamentary elections and the second reading of the law Unified Retirement."
The source, who requested anonymity, that "the meeting also includes a second reading of the draft law on universities and colleges and read the final report of the Sub-Commission on the parliamentary responsible for monitoring the project and the Ministry of Education (1, 2) your subject rebuild schools mud and ramshackle."
The Presidency of the Council of Representatives lifted on Monday, (October 28, 2013) Session of the 29th of the first legislative term of the legislative year fourth to Wednesday, while the session witnessed Re Parliament a draft law infrastructure to Cabinet, ending the reading and the first and second of the three bills.
And decided the presidency of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, on Wednesday, (October 30, 2013), to postpone the 30th session of the first legislative term of the fourth legislative year for one hour, and attributed the cause to concern by Congress with the leaders of parliamentary blocs to resolve the electoral law.
He guessed the Kurdistan Alliance, on Tuesday, (October 29, 2013), County House hearing, to be held on Wednesday, voting on the Law of the parliamentary elections, and pointed to the need to lift the injustice of the Kurds in the issue of the distribution of seats, and pointed out that the law needed to " agree "and not to" a majority or a minority, "as he emphasized that he would not be part of the" oppressors of the people of Kurdistan.
The head of the Iraqi Council of Representatives Osama Najafi announced, in (October 22, 2013), to form a committee under his chairmanship comprising representatives of all the political blocs to study the proposed law to amend the law of parliamentary elections, with gave the Commission until the 30th of October the current, to reach a final version of the law , confirmed that he will return to the previous law in the event of failure to agree on the new law.
The head of the National Bloc white beauty of watermelon, in (October 20, 2013), the enactment of the parties before the election law to know the sources of funds of the parties, and while pointing to support "mass constituencies multiple elections and the open-list system and Saint Lego in the distribution of parliamentary seats," said rejection of the principle of compensatory seats bloc that "make losers Vice" criticizing the big parties that want to "staying power through elections law separates Mqashm".
The Legal Committee of the Parliamentary accused, in (October 22, 2013), the House of Representatives to "support" the political will operate on the postponement of the elections, and stressed that the law on parliamentary elections in 2014 passes "to the problem of" large due to the insistence of the Kurdistan Alliance to claim 100 seat redemptive, while political blocs accused the "courtesy" of Kurdistan in its claims for the need for an alliance with him.
And accused the Liberal bloc of the Sadrist movement, on 20 October 2013, the State of Law coalition led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to work to delay the adoption of the Law of the upcoming parliamentary elections because "the Prime Minister of them," asserting that state law beneficiary of the current situation, which is going through the country.
The head of the Iraqi parliament said on Saturday (19 October 2013), to endorse the election law during the next two weeks, denying the existence of any intention to postpone the elections or extend the life of the current government.
The head of the Kurdistan region Massoud Barzani demanded, on Sunday, (VI October 2013), the adoption of a system of "constituency" one in the next parliamentary elections, and stressed that the people of the region "subjected to injustice in the 2010 elections," While he stressed that the region "will not pay for the low participation for the rest of the components, "threatened" not to participate in the elections in the event of failure to adopt a single constituency system. "
This means closed list system that provides political entity list Bmarchah and after ratification by the UNHCR and the end of the deadline for electoral lists and the coalition can not be political entity to change the order of names on the list and announce the winners of the candidates on the list according to the number of votes obtained by the entity and in numerical order contained down menu.
Specialists believe that the ordinary voter to vote for the electoral list he does not know the members of this list, because this is the electoral system does not allow voters to choose no other name from the list pursuant to the free choice (open menu).
MP for the coalition ruled united unit Jumaili pass the election law in today's session.
30-10-2013 | (Voice of Iraq)
Jumaili said in a press statement today: "It is impossible to pass the election law in today's session, there is no agreed upon so far."
She added: "The difference between the political blocs on the election law still exists and there is no consensus on the passed at today's meeting."
She pointed out that it is possible to extend the period of discussion on the election law to the fourteenth of next month, is likely to go to the old election law or full-year postponement of the elections if it is not to reach consensus on the law. "
Citigroup gets approval from CBI; Will opens first Citibank branch Monday
Posted by Iraq News Journal on Oct 23, 2013 | Leave a Comment
The opening of the first branch of an American bank in Iraq
Editor: OK 24/6/2013 11:24
Citigroup, Bank announced Citigroup Alamerreqi the banking services, on Monday, to open an office in Baghdad to become the first U.S. bank to expand its services to include Iraq, betting in this his move on the long-term economic opportunities in the oil-rich country.
The bank said Citigroup Citigroup said in a statement quoted by the British newspaper Financial Times and seen, (Presse term), he said that “the bank will open on Monday, his first formal office in the capital Baghdad after receiving the initial approvals from the Central Bank of Iraq.”
The newspaper quoted the Executive Director of Citigroup bank in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, James Collis as saying, “Iraq is an important market with an economy enjoys a great future capabilities over time.”
He said the bank in accordance with the statement that “Dennis Flannery former financial attaché of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, who ran the Office of the City Bank for the interests of Iraq in Amman since its inception two years ago, will be chaired by the Office of Baghdad.”
The bank continued that “there are plans to open two additional offices in Erbil and Basra to provide services to customers within the bank banking activities,” pointing out that “This step constitutes the first commercial activity to the U.S. bank Citigroup in a new country six years ago,”
He said the bank in a statement, “Over the past decade used the bank to fund investors and major companies operating in Iraq by giving them funding commercial banking services and cash and investment management through its branches regional in Dubai and the Office of Iraq in Amman and the ways of its branch in London.”
The bank said that “this step comes for the establishment of a physical presence in the Iraqi market in conjunction with the aspiration of major oil companies, industry and construction to invest in Iraq.”
According to analysts, economists guesses in a U.S. bank Citigroup, “the expansion of the growth of the oil sector in the country would turn Iraq into one of the largest oil exporter in the world over the next decade and economic power is estimated at $ 2 trillion by the year 2050.”
And operates banks Citigroup in the Middle East for almost 50 years and offers banking services in 11 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Kuwait, and also offers business services banker to consumers in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain and Pakistan, which is one of the banks of the four that will help the government of Dubai in the collection $ 800 million to finance powered by the collection of tolls on the roads in the future.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki meets U.S. Vice President
30-10-2013 | (Voice of Iraq)
Met with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Washington this evening (Baghdad time) it Leakey Vice President Joe Biden.
During the meeting, they discussed the development of relations between Iraq and the United States and ways of enhancing them in all fields in the light of the strategic framework agreement, and to emphasize the need to expand cooperation between the two countries and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government in the field of combating terrorism and achieving security and stability.
They also discussed the latest developments in the region and issues of common concern.
Maliki up to Washington in a five-day official visit; Begins with Biden
Posted: October 30, 2013 in Iraqi Dinar/Politics
Tags: Baghdad, Joe Biden, Maliki, Nouri al-Maliki, Syria, U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement, United States, Washington
30-10-2013 11:33 AM
Baghdad (news) .. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to the capital of the United States and Washington on an official visit lasting five days. An informed source (of the Agency news): that al-Maliki arrived in Washington at the head of a government delegation, noting that he would meet with Vice President Joseph Biden.
It is noteworthy that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced at a news conference in Baghdad before leaving for Washington, he would discuss with U.S. officials during his visit to Washington a number of topics in the forefront of activating the strategic framework agreement and the fight against terrorism and the Syrian crisis
Iraq parliament adjourns without vote on election law; Resume Thursday
Posted: October 30, 2013 in Iraqi Dinar/Politics
Tags: Abbas al-Bayati, Committee, Conscription, Council of Representatives of Iraq, House of Representatives, Iraq, Muhammad Ali
Raises its parliament until tomorrow and fails to vote on election law [Extended]
Wednesday, October 30 1 / Okrudolf 2013 18:13
Lifting of the House of Representatives its usual on Thursday after he failed to vote on the proposal to amend the law for the parliamentary elections in 2014.
The Council said in a statement received by the agency all of Iraq [where] a copy of it on Wednesday that “the Council at its thirty-ended, which was held under the chairmanship of Osama Najafi, head of the House of Representatives and the presence of 224 deputies today’s second reading of the draft law on universities and community colleges.”
At the beginning of the meeting initiated by any of the Holy Quran Nujaifi pointed out that the unfinished negotiations between the political blocs on the law of the House of Representatives election and there is a need to statistics from the Ministry of Planning on the increase in population.
The Presidency decided to postpone the vote on the proposed law on elections, the Iraqi Council of Representatives and sponsored by the Legal Committee.
He ended the second reading of the draft law on universities, community colleges and submitted by the committees of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Legal.
In the interventions of Representatives on the bill MP Hassan Abdul Nabi hold that amendments to the law will contribute to the development of higher education, calling for retired teachers is not granted because of the inclusion of de-Baathification procedures teaching opportunity again.
MP Hamid called Buffy the law that includes the issue of linking the establishment of colleges in the Kurdistan region and according to the laws and instructions of the province.
The MP said on Alfalh the possibility of establishment of universities in all parts of Iraq for the dissemination of science away from any other direction.
Turn MP Bayazid Hassan re-drafting of the law, which imposes tight restrictions on universities and colleges.
She drew MP Zeinab السهلاني to the importance of the expansion of the acceptance of wanting to join the evening graduate colleges.
The MP called periodic reproach to unite all grades premiums in colleges and universities proposed establishment of a scientific council top involving colleges for the advancement of higher education.
It showed Rep. Susan Saad said the law will contribute significantly to the organization of the educational process in colleges and universities civil.
For his part, urged Attorney Luis Caro to be a number of founders of the branch of the foreign colleges equal to the number individuals founding Iraqis.
The deputy noted the names of al-Moussawi to the importance of law include clear measures to reduce the transmission of lecturers from public universities to private universities, which may lead to negative results on the reality of education.
MP Abbas al-Bayati, the need to provide opportunities to study undergraduate primary and upper and private master’s and doctoral degrees in colleges.
He demanded MP Ali cheaper that includes labor law on equality of salaries between public universities and professors to curb civil moving with the importance of determining acceptance rates.
MP Qassem Mohammad Qasim said the bill would move the task of universities and civil contributes Bmnavsthe of universities after the government to get rid of the disadvantages of hegemony and totalitarianism in the past.
For its part, MP explained that Muhammad Ali importance that the law includes organizing the annual admissions plans and study wages and powers to extend the work of the university president.
Rep. considered Jumaili unit that private universities is one of the largest and most profitable investment projects because of rising wages and breadth of academic accept students expressing fear of low scientific level of the educational sector.
The MP stressed Hanan al on the need to put harsh conditions on the establishment of universities and colleges in order to sedate Ahli and the level of education graduates.
In turn, confirmed the Committee on the Education Ahli synonymous with public education with a relentless pursuit to establish universities contribute to the development of the educational reality pointing to the existence of keenness on the independence of colleges and the quality of quality where the eye to focus on the issue of graduate and retired professors and according to certain controls.
By: Mushreq Abbas for Al-Monitor Iraq Pulse Posted on October 30
Many internal and regional issues are on the agenda of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s Nov. 1 visit to Washington, where he will meet with senior US officials, including President Barack Obama.
Summary :
Security is at the top of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s visit to Washington, but he may also consider a US-Iran rapprochement as a means to strengthen his chances for a third term.
Original Title:
What Does Maliki Want from Washington?
Author: Mushreq Abbas
Posted on: October 30 2013
Translated by: Rani Geha
There has been a lot of speculation about the goals of the visit, which comes at a very critical time for Iraq. The political crisis is escalating and the security situation is collapsing. The visit also comes at a time when the region is filled with complications as it prepares for the Geneva II conference to discuss the Syrian crisis.
On Oct. 29, Iraqi ambassador to Washington Lukman Faily denied that Maliki’s visit was for Iraqi political issues, especially with the growing crisis over the Iraqi election law. Faily asserted that the visit was scheduled months ago.
Reality has placed the Iraqi political crisis at the heart of the Washington talks. In recent weeks, US Vice President Joe Biden has held a series of contacts with a number of Iraqi politicians, the last of which was with President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Massoud Barzani on Oct. 28.
The US administration has expressed concern about the escalating violence in Iraq and urged political parties to end their differences.
While departing Baghdad, Maliki said that his US visit will be only about activating the US-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement and tackling the terrorism issue, which he said would be “hot.”
Abbas al-Bayati, a leading figure in al-Dawa party and one of Maliki’s associates, denied that Maliki would discuss internal Iraqi political difference during his Washington visit. Bayati told Al-Monitor, “The visit will discuss the regional situation, the Syrian crisis, and ways to combat terrorism and extremist organizations.”
He added, “The armament file will be discussed with the American side. Iraq has signed important arms contracts with Washington. We will request that the arming process be sped up and that the Iraqi security forces be supported.” Bayati focused on the arming issue by pointing that a high-ranking military delegation is accompanying Maliki to Washington.
However, some are speculating that the visit has additional goals, such as Maliki securing US support for a third term after the 2014 Iraqi elections and getting US support to face al-Qaeda’s growing capabilities.
At the regional level, Iraq is expected to ask to play a pivotal role in the Geneva II conference, especially after Maliki put forth an eight-point initiative on the Syrian crisis on Sept. 4.
Some even say that Iraq wishes to play a role in improving US-Iran relations. On Sept. 28, Maliki said Iraq has been trying to bring Washington and Tehran closer and that Iraq wishes to play the needed role in that regard.
Maliki is searching for a regional role despite his bitter internal struggle (more and more are opposing Maliki’s policies and Iraq’s security is collapsing) because Iraq’s situation is linked to pivotal developments in the Middle East, especially regarding Syria, where the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) is controlling more and more Syrian towns near the Iraqi border and turning them into “safe havens” for ISIS elements who cross the Iraq-Syria border at will.
But despite all these major issues, the visit still has a personal aspect. Maliki’s wishes to bring the United States and Iran closer, probably so that he can get a third term by reproducing the 2010 scenario, especially since some Iraqis think that international and regional differences on the Syrian crisis present Iraq with an opportunity to play a role because Maliki has good relations with both the US and Iran.
Perhaps it is this Iraqi role that some domestic anti-Maliki political forces fear. Those forces think that Iraq has paid a heavy price for the 2010 deal, which deepened internal division and ended the national partnership government. Maliki himself contributed in complicating the situation by a series of crises after he visited Washington in December 2011. The most prominent of those crises was the opening of Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi’s legal file. He was sentenced to death. Hashemi’s case and similar cases against a number of Sunni politicians affected how Iraqi Sunnis view the government. That later led to the eruption of protests in al-Anbar near the end of 2012 and to the escalation of the conflict between Baghdad and the Kurdistan region into an armed clash in the middle of 2012.
Maliki has so far visited the United States three times. The first was in July 2006, a visit that resulted in an agreement on how to contain the civil war. The second visit was in July 2009 to prepare the ground for the US withdrawal. The third visit was in December 2011 and happened while the US completed its withdrawal.
In theory, Maliki is going to Washington to discuss critical files and several demands. Three days may not be enough to discuss all those subjects. Civil state supporters in Iraq are wondering not “What will Maliki ask from Washington?” but rather, “What Washington will ask from Maliki?” and not only regarding the growing political and security crises or the ambiguous relationship of Iraq with the Syrian file, but also about basic rights and freedoms for Iraqis. There has been great pressure and continuous attempts to restrict those rights.
Mushreq Abbas is a contributing writer for Al-Monitor’s Iraq Pulse. He has been managing editor of Al-Hayat’s Iraq bureau since 2005 and has written studies and articles on Iraqi crises for domestic and international publication.
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