*** " Evict Maliki " Countdown is 49 Days until the SCHEDULED Election ***
* NOTE that the countdown notice has been amended to qualify the Election as " Scheduled " to give emphasis to the tenuous state of political / constitutional affairs in Iraq in recent days and specifically the mention in the news of a possible delay in the election due to the Anbar diaspora.
Parliament included the budget discussion on the agenda of next week
Tue Mar 11 2014 21:38 | (Voice of Iraq)
Twilight News
Incorporated Presidency of the Council of Representatives Tuesday to discuss the budget for fiscal 2014 controversial on the agenda of the parliament next week.
Reported the presidency said in a statement reported for "Twilight News" agenda of the meetings of the Council of Representatives next week, which included two sessions Sunday and Tuesday,the first and second readings of the draft law on the federal budget for fiscal year 2014.
He was president of the executive and the legislature have exchanged harsh accusations about the delay in approving the budget with the passage of the country's financial approximately 10 weeks of the new financial year.
He said Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki that he would go ahead in the disbursement of the budget without waiting for approval in Parliament.
Najafi but declined to do so and said that any amounts acted outside the legal framework is the embezzlement of public money and accused al-Maliki of ignorance laws after the latter was considered that the parliament has lost its legitimacy.
It is hoped that the Kurds are boycotting the House of Representatives hearing on Sunday objected to the wording of the budget and say it includes sanctions against the Kurdistan Region after the government included a clause stipulating to deduct part of the share of Kurdistan if the latter did not comply with the export of 400 thousand barrels of oil per day in favor of the federal government.
What makes it more difficult to hold the meeting County deputies coalition united parliament sessions weeks ago to protest against the military operations in Anbar.
The agenda includes a vote on Sunday also grant an advance of the Independent High Commission for the elections as well as the first reading of the draft law on the Fifth Amendment to the law of maintenance of irrigation and drainage No. 12 for the year 1995.
The Council will vote in Tuesday's hearing on a bill to work, while being the second reading of the budget bill for fiscal year 2014 in Tuesday's session.
As for Wednesday's session include a vote on a bill to exempt Iraqi and foreign companies implementing investment projects, and vote on the bill modulated, and the vote on the draft law of the Ministry of Health, and the second reading of the draft law amending the fees judicial No. 114 of 1981.
I AM EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEWS ABOUT FOREIGN COMPANIES INVESTMENT LAW. I am hoping this is the beginning of compliance with the WTO, WB, IMF!! ~ RED LILY ~
Maliki: If the war in Syria did not stop, terrorism would move to all countries in the region
12/03/2014 11:34:00
BAGHDAD / Nina / Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki said: "if the war in Syria did not stop, terrorism would move to all the countries of the region."
He said in his speech, in the opening session of the first international conference to combat terrorism today, "The battle in Iraq is against blind terrorism, which does not differentiate between Sunni and Shiite."
He called for security and intelligence coordination and activate arrest warrants and urged countries, where (Takfeer Fatwa) come from, to stop them and work to reduce and eliminate them.
Maliki added " some countries in the region are trying to fool people that what is happening in Iraq is a war between Sunnis and Shiites ."
He continued that "al-Qaeda kills everyone , whether they are Sunnis or Shiites or Christians ," noting that " Al-Qaeda is trying to fool people that they are fighting on behalf of the Sunnis ."
Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki said "any one stays silent about terrorism is considered a partner in the crimes committed by the terrorerism ."
He explained "those who keep silent on what is done by groups and terrorist organizations , bears a heavy responsibility ."
He added: "The (Takfeer ) groups killed Sunnis in Algeria during the nineties and committed major crimes in Egypt and Yemen," wondering : " Why did they kill these people in those countries if they defend the Sunnis ? "
The International Conference on Combating Terrorism kicked off this morning with Arab and international participation.
Breaking News ...Counter-Terrorism Conference starts in Baghdad
Wednesday, 12 March 2014 11:44
Baghdad (AIN) –The First International Counter-Terrorism Conference started in Baghdad.
The correspondent of AIN stated "The Conference started on Wednesday morning where the Premier, Nouri al-Maliki, will release a statement in its opening session where the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG), Mr. Nikolay Mladenov, and the head of the INTERPOL will also release their statements in the session."
Sistani shows "deep concern" about the humanitarian situation of the Iraqi people
12/03/2014 12:36:00
Najaf / NINA / Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani expressed deep concern about the humanitarian situation of various spectra of the Iraqi people .
Sistani's office quoted him as saying, during a meeting with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer and his entourage, that he is concerned, in particular, on the conditions of the displaced from their home areas on sectarian or security causes or due to military operations in Anbar province , calling on the international humanitarian authorities to pay attention to the conditions of those people and provide more assistance to them .
Sistani called on the international mission to redouble efforts to deliver aid to the affected areas , not only in Iraq , but also in the areas of conflict in the Middle East , especially Syria and in different parts of the world , and spread the culture of human rights among the peoples of the region.
During the meeting, they discussed the missing file of the Iraq - Iran war and missing people in Kuwait war .
For his part, the mission's official also expressed concern over this situation, calling on the Iraqi government to show cooperation for the arrival of aid teams and research and investigation teams in various parts of Iraq, stressing at the same time, the difficulty of access to the affected families in the areas, where armed groups are existed in these areas or in the military confrontations areas , despite cooperation by the leaders of the Iraqi army . "
The delegation accompanying Maurer , includes Robert Mardini Red Cross director of operations in the Middle East and Patrick Youssef, chief of mission in Iraq and David Herman director of the mission in the province of Najaf .
Maurer arrived in Baghdad, in first visit to Iraq and met with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and with Vice President Khodair al-Khuzaie and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari .
Zayani: We respect Iraq .. and hostile accusations Maliki
Tue Mar 11 2014 21:58 | (Voice of Iraq)
Arabic. Forums - Agencies
Continued critical reactions to statements by Nouri al-Maliki in which he claimed that Saudi Arabia and Qatar backing terrorism in Iraq.
The description of the Secretary-General of the Council of the Gulf Cooperation, Abdul Latif Al-Zayani, al-Maliki accused of "hostile and false", at a time in which he emphasized that the GCC countries were Iraq all love and appreciation and respect.
Al-Zayani expressed in a press statement on Tuesday, deplored that the issuance of charges of "void" of the Prime Minister of an Arab state, "sister" not have all the GCC love and appreciation and respect.
Zayani explained that "the countries of the Council of the first countries that have suffered and been affected by the criminal acts of terrorism, has made great efforts at all levels to combat and eradicate them."
He pointed out that these efforts place recognition and appreciation by all countries of the world and all the Iraqi parties equitable.
The Secretary-General to remove Iraq from the sectarian situation to the national situation, and the consolidation of an inclusive political process for all Iraqi political parties, are steps that can promote national unity in Iraq.
Saudi Arabia was crossed yesterday, disapproval and surprise to Maliki's comments in which he accused the kingdom of supporting terrorism in Iraq, describing it as "aggressive and irresponsible" and fabrication shop.
*** Saudi Arabia and Qatar are not attending the International Conference on Terrorism due to the recent allegations by Maliki that they are guilty of supporting terrorism in Iraq ***
The principle of self-determination as set out by US President Woodrow Wilson at the end of World War I failed to result in the promised creation of a Kurdish state.
LONDON – Self-determination should be a straightforward concept. The right of nations freely to choose their sovereign status is enshrined in Article I of the founding charter of the United Nations and as such has the weight of international law.
The principle can range from a nation’s right to independence as a sovereign state to the right of a minority to enjoy democratic representation and respect for its cultural rights within a unitary state.
In the realm of realpolitik, of course, it is never that simple. The Kurds, better than any nation, know that national rights can be subsumed to the interests of the powerful. The principle of self-determination as set out by US President Woodrow Wilson at the end of World War I failed to result in the promised creation of a Kurdish state.
In the ensuing century, scores of other new states emerged, many of them former colonies of the European powers. Other nations emerged or re-emerged from the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
As recently as 2011, the people of South Sudan voted overwhelmingly to break away from the dominant North which had suppressed their rights since independence.
International lawyers have been divided over how self-determination is pursued in practice. For much of the 20th century the territorial integrity of established states appeared to trump the rights of those seeking to secede from them.
But, as the Cold War period gave way to an era of globalization and ostensibly enhanced international cooperation, world powers began to take a more relaxed attitude to the redrawing of borders – in at least some parts of the world.
There was rightly no outside interference in the decision of Czechs and Slovaks to dissolve their union in 1993, and the same is true as Scotland prepares to vote this year on whether to leave the United Kingdom.
What, then, of Crimea, where the local pro-Russian parliament has called a snap referendum to decide whether the region should remain in Ukraine or join the Russian Federation?
The fact that the Ukrainian authorities in the region have been pushed aside, while key installations have been surrounded by forces either loyal to Moscow or drafted in by it, obviously casts doubt on the legitimacy of such a vote, scheduled for March 16.
That is not to say, given the strength of pro-Russian feeling in the region, that a majority might not be willing opt for union with Russia. But would that represent an exercise in self-determination, or would it amount to the abuse of the principle in the interests of big power politics?
Also, where would it leave more than a quarter of a million Crimean Tatars who are now looking to Turkey to defend their rights as they face the threat of a Russian takeover?
The US and the European Union have joined the Ukrainian government in declaring the referendum move as illegal, effectively putting the principle of Ukraine’s territorial integrity above the rights of a pro-Russian population in Crimea that might vote to break away.
Crimea is a special case, of course, in which the Kremlin’s bullying tactics, Western bluster, and the internal political crisis in Ukraine serve to obscure any genuine issue of self-determination.
It does raise the question, however, as to where outside powers might stand on other situations where people are struggling either for self-determination or to preserve existing rights.
Take the situation of the Kurdish nation. Any bid for outright independence by the Kurds of Iraq or Syria would currently be anathema in world capitals, however dysfunctional their host countries or artificial their original borders.
The sentiment is not confined to world powers. In an interview with Rudaw last week, George Sabra, head of the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC), reminded Syria’s Kurds that they should concentrate on toppling Bashar Assad’s regime rather than be insisting on guarantees of self-rule in a future government.
Kurdish leaders have for the most part opted for pragmatism, setting aside the idea of independence in favor of securing autonomy within existing borders.
Even the formerly separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has opted for an accommodation with Turkey that would guarantee Kurdish rights rather than seeking to split the Turkish state.
In Iraq, where functioning autonomy has been established after decades of repression by the central government, the Kurdish leadership has sought to make federalism work despite a frequently turbulent relationship with Baghdad.
As Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Region, said in Moscow a year ago: “We know well that there is a real world in which we live, and we have to take this reality into account.”
More recently, however, he expressed growing impatience with Baghdad’s attitude in its budget dispute with Erbil by accusing the Iraqi leadership of seeking to break “the pride and dignity of the Kurds.”
The only thing keeping the Kurds attached to Iraq was the constitution, otherwise they could announce a referendum and seek independence, he has previously warned.
If Kurds were to determine that their Iraqi partners had violated the terms of the federal agreement and, as a consequence, decided to go their own way, where would the rest of the world stand? Would foreign powers back the principle of self-determination, or would their desire for the continued territorial integrity of Iraq win the day?
*** A " follow-up " to Barzani's announced " surprise " position, Barzani would use the right of self-determination in response to Baghdad :
Mon Mar 10 2014 23:57 | (Voice of Iraq)
Twilight News
Kurdish newspaper revealed Monday unveiled a measure that threatened regional President Massoud Barzani of the Kurdistan region in the event of continued adopting positions towards the Baghdad region.
PUK Official Warns Peshmarga Will Not Take Orders From Anyone Else
By HEVIDAR AHMED
PUK officials appear to be reminding their political rivals that they have their own private army, which does not take its orders from the KRG.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A senior member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan for the first time revealed the size of the PUK’s military force, stressing that the Peshmarga Ministry must go to his party in the next Kurdish cabinet and warning that the soldiers would not take orders from anyone else.
“How can they not give the Ministry of Peshmarga to the PUK? Do they know that the PUK has 120 tanks and a command staff,” said the politburo member, speaking to Rudaw on condition of anonymity.
“Do you know that the PUK employs 20,000 Peshmargas, tank battalion, artillery battalion and engineering battalion? Some officials within the PUK have two private brigades,” the official revealed for the first time.
More than five months after legislative elections in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region in September, the three main parties that won the largest votes still are quibbling over who gets which ministry and senior posts.
The sticking point has been that the PUK, a strategic partner in the outgoing government with the dominant Kurdistan Democratic Party, did not do as well as it expected at the polls. The KDP came first, the PUK-breakaway Change Movement (Gorran) came second and the PUK itself came third.
Officials involved in the negotiations blame the PUK’s internal disputes, and its insistence on certain positions and posts despite its loss of power, for the delay in formation of a new government.
Now, PUK officials appear to be reminding their political rivals that they have their own private army, which does not take its orders from the KRG.
“How can the KDP keep the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Intelligence Agency and the Ministry of Peshmarga?” the anonymous PUK official had told the KDP in a message. “Nothing will be left for the PUK, then,” the message reportedly said.
The source told Rudaw that the PUK’s Jaffar Sheikh Mustafa, who is minister of Peshmarga in the outgoing cabinet, is the only man who can control the PUK forces. “I do not believe that anyone outside the PUK can fulfill the role of Sheikh Jaffar,” said the source.
Mustafa himself refused comment, expressing his anger at a report on corruption inside the Peshmarga Ministry that was published in another Rudaw publication.
Meanwhile Anwar Haji Osman, undersecretary of the Peshmarga Ministry and a KDP member, criticized the PUK stance over the issue.
“The Ministry of Peshmarga is the ministry of blood. We must not think about the KDP and the PUK, and should organize an army to serve all the people of Kurdistan,” he said.
“This is a catastrophe,” said Osman, commenting on the PUK’s warning that its forces would not take orders from the KRG.
A military expert in Kurdistan told Rudaw that the tanks under PUK control were those seized from former dictator Saddam Hussein.
“All the tanks are Russian. When the Saddam regime collapsed, the PUK seized the fifth brigade in Kirkuk and moved the tanks to Sulaimani. Some of these tanks are still in Qalachulan, Chwar Qurni, Hamreen and the outskirts of Kirkuk,” he said.
“They are all Russian made T-55 tanks with a gun range of 17 kilometers.”
*** Perhaps it is no small wonder that Maliki should hope to be in the mix post election if the failure of Kurdistan is an indication of the difficulties of forming a government in Iraq again and a repeat of Allawi / Maliki. ***
Doctor Talabani: President in good health and continuous improvement
12-03-2014 01:41 PM
Baghdad (news) .. announced leading member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the physician authorized to declare the health of the president Necmettin cream, he was with President Jalal Talabani on the seventh and eighth of this month, pointing out that his health is very good and is in continuous improvement.
Karim said in a statement seen by the Agency (news): Talabani was in very good health, without mentioning his whereabouts. / End / b. PVC /
Mutlaq: the facts must be presented at a conference to combat terrorism because people tired of promises
12-03-2014 01:25 PM
Baghdad (news) .. MP for the Iraqi List, Hamid al-Mutlaq, the Iraqi government and the participants in the International Conference on Combating Terrorism, which began its work in Baghdad on Wednesday, said a contract offer Almutmr facts and credibility to the people and away from the misleading.
He said in a statement received by the Agency (news) copy of it: 'While each of which stands bore the seeds of goodness and humanity with this call, we ask that the call be honest and carry serious intentions in dealing with terrorism.'
He continued: 'While encouraged by the people who hold this conference, we call that exposed the facts and the credibility of the commitment and frankly, to be replaced this Almutmr good thinking.'
He pointed out: that 'of sending fighters to Syria, and to some countries for the slaughter of the Syrian people and the killing of innocent people and violates human rights in the arrests and raids in the inside jails and prisons, torture, rape, and bombing cities and abandons the innocent and destroy houses and burn humans and kill them under torture, hunger and stealing food peoples and the money is used against the freedom of peoples, it is not true that in order to mislead the positions of certain political '.
He explained: that 'on that the Iraqi government and governments involved because we want the facts and acts do not want slogans and misleading because the people fed up with the lies and promises of a die under the hammer terrorism there and there. / End / b. PVC /
Virtue block calls as launchers fatwas "incitements" perpetrators of crimes against humanity, genocide
12-03-2014 12:59 PM
Baghdad (news) .. called the parliamentary bloc of virtue, the first international conference to combat terrorism held in Baghdad as launchers fatwas inflammatory incitements perpetrators of crimes against humanity.
According to a statement of the block received the Agency (news) copy of it: that 'we hope to come out of the International Conference for the fight against terrorism, held in Baghdad, steps and recommendations of a deliberate process contribute to the focus on drying the sources of terrorism intellectual, financial and take legal position of countries supporting terrorism and feeding activities, and the spread of culture incitements to translate the form of resolutions binding international accounting and accountability of those countries chock-terrorism '.
The statement stressed: that is to develop an integrated program to support Iraq in its fight against terrorist organizations includes facilitating the supply Iraq with weapons and advanced technology necessary to confront these groups and contribute to the further development and rehabilitation of the combat capabilities of the Iraqi security forces in the fight against terrorism.
She bloc according to the statement, that any steps or measures taken to combat terrorism, whatever increased their importance and necessity, they do not lead to the required results in weakening terrorism and eradicate unless coupled position unified international deterrent of state sponsors of terrorist groups with money and weaponry and recruit terrorists and considered launchers fatwas incitements perpetrators of genocide against humanity . / End / h. / P
Fallujah: displaced people have returned to run out of money .. and the food enters bribing checkpoints
Wed Mar 12 2014 04:42 | (Voice of Iraq)
Baghdad / Wael grace
He said deputies and local officials in the province said the displaced families, returned to Fallujah, "because of the depletion of their savings" and not because of the cessation of the shelling of the city, asserting that the mortars and artillery are still targeting residential neighborhoods despite the truce declared by the government, but they added that the ports that have been talking about opening confined to walk on foot or by hand wooden carts to transfer medical supplies and food.
The Council announced Anbar province, the first of yesterday, the opening of the security agencies, implementers into the city of Fallujah (62 km west of Baghdad) to ensure the return of displaced persons, including due to military operations in the detection of the allocation of central government "three billion Iraqi dinars," to be distributed to families affected by the operations .
A former spokesman Square sit-in Fallujah and a member of the Council of Anbar tribes Mohammed Albjara in an interview with the "long" that "the bombing of Fallujah is still going on, despite the return of displaced families to the city," he said, adding that the shelling is done by "guns and heavy mortars" .
He added Albjara "The bombing became tougher when the government declared a truce, and saw areas bout and the revival of the military and the Golan and al-Qubaisi heavy shelling," pointing out that "some people when they move from one area Saqlawiyah into Fallujah exposed to fire from the security forces, which have surrounded the city in full, and that the bombardment fall on people's homes and rarely targeted by gunmen. "
He revealed Albjara that "families returning to Fallujah through the ports announced by the provincial council, returned on foot to a kilometer, due to prevent the security forces from the introduction of cars," he said, adding that "the families returned obliged to Fallujah because of their bad and the depletion of their savings, and the expulsion of those who dwell in schools by the security forces. "
Confirms Albjara that returning to Fallujah, "they dwell in areas that do not fall under the fire bombing directly, but in areas far from the line of contact", stressing that the displaced people began to prefer "Death to beg in the provinces," while saying that "the employees did not receive salaries, Some teachers Bsttiyat opened in Samarra. "
Confirms Albjara that "the city devoid of militants (Daash)," he said, adding that the fighters are "sons of the tribes" who provoked "Disengagement arenas sit," he draws out that "al-Maliki looking for marketing the media talking about the presence of armed Arabs, or that the car that exploded recently in the control of Babylon coming from Fallujah, "stressing that" the prime minister sent mediators to pardon Ali Hatem al-Suleiman and insurgents, "a recognition, from the government that there is no" Daash "in his opinion.
So says Albjara that "food, fuel and medicines come by moving vehicles Wood, a long distance, because of the cut of the security forces of ways, and not allowing the entry of cars," revealing that "the security checkpoints in Anbar take royalties from car fuel and food in exchange entered into Fallujah ".
In the meantime, MP criticizes Anbar full-Dulaimi "hasty remarks to some of the parties in the province and on arrival in the agreement to resolve the crisis in Fallujah," stressing that those statements "cluttered initiatives on the solution."
Confirms al-Dulaimi told the "term" that "displaced families and returning to Fallujah, because of the forced return of the displaced tragic situation," adding that "the bombing is still going on despite the open ports of entry of families into the city."
In the opinion of MP Anbar that the reason for the failure of previous initiatives to resolve the crisis in Fallujah, "is the presence of more than a microcontroller in Fallujah by the tribes, and there are parties want to impose their vision on the other," likely to "be agreed in the next few days on a new initiative be launched Chairman of the Board Anbar to resolve the crisis in Fallujah. "
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