Saturday, September 21, 2013

Bare Essence

Kevin wrote to complain that I never write about TV here.

That's actually not true, Kevin.  I've written, for example, of The Bionic Woman.  I've written of a few other shows that were actually airing while I was writing about them.

Until they cancelled it, I was actually writing about Alphas.  Surprising myself because it's very hard for me to catch a show regularly.  I'm just not that into it.

But I figured I'd give it a stab.

Back in the 80s, CBS did a two-part, four hour, mini-series entitled Bare Essence.  It aired in the fall of 1982 so it was Genie Francis' first big moment after she had left General Hospital at the height of Luke and Laura mania.

It was a perfect night time soap opera.

You watched and it grabbed you.

Then it was decided to turn it into a series.

A huge mistake.

CBS didn't want it so the very low rated NBC grabbed it.

Tiger was Genie's character.  Her boyfriend on the show was played by Bruce Boxleitner.  He was starring with Kate Jackson in CBS' Scarecrow and Mrs. King.

He couldn't come on the series.

Linda Evans played Tiger's mother.  She was great in that role.  But she could do the mini-series but no the series -- she was already playing Krystal on Dynasty.

Best of all was Donna Mills who was a treat for the eyes.  She is very good looking but I'm not talking about that.  On the mini-series, she was dressed better than she was on Knots Landing.  (After the mini-series, that would change.)  She was fitted with clothes that added to her motions and movement.  Her performance was very physical.  I can still remember gestures she made in one gold wrap like dress.

Donna was Abby on Knots Landing.  She wasn't going to be able to reprise her role.

They all got replaced.  Jessica Walter replaced Lee Grant and that was the only one that worked.

It was not the same show at all.

Worse, it got a lot of pre-start up publicity for grabbing Al Corely up.  He'd just walked on Dynasty over the nonsense.  (He was the original Steven Carrington.  Steven was gay.  Except when ABC was nervous.)

Well you tune in for the NBC show's first episode and, sure enough, there's Al and . . . he dies in the first episode.  What was the point of that?

It aired Tuesdays at 9:00 pm.  It was up against the rating giant Three's Company and sandwiched between a cartoon (A-Team) and a drama (St. Elsewhere).  It was as if NBC wanted it to fail.

On top of that, the press was obsessed with Genie Francis' weight.  It must have been a horrible experience for her because the press was obsessed with whether her weight went up or down.



"Iraq snapshot" (The Common Ills):
Friday, September 20, 2013.  Chaos and violence continue, a mosque is bombed, an important anniversary takes place, a man in Karbala attempts to set himself on fire, the KRG votes in provincial elections tomorrow, we look at who the biggest loser could be (hint, if things go bad for the PUK, the biggest loser will most likely be a woman), and more.

Iraq received some attention from the world's press today.  For violence.  That's what the western media caught.  What they missed was how important today was.

Violence isn't the only story in Iraq.  Today was the nine month anniversary of the start of the ongoing protests.  Dropping back to the December 21st snapshot:




AFP says the new crisis "threatens to reignite a long-running feud between the secular, Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc" and Nouri and his State of Law political slate.  What the heck are we talking about?  Look at this Reuters photo (individual photographer is not credited by the news agency or we'd note him or her by name) of the thousands who turned out to protest in Falluja today demanding Nouri al-Maliki resign as prime minister.
After morning prayers, Kitabat reports, protesters gathered in Falluja to protest the arrests and Nouri al-Maliki.  They chanted down with Nouri's brutality and, in a move that won't change their minds, found themselves descended upon by Nouri's forces who violently ended the protest.  Before that, Al Mada reports, they were chanting that terrorism and Nouri are two sides of the same coin.  Kitabat also reports that demonstrations also took place in Tikrit, Samarra, Ramdia and just outside Falluja with persons from various tribes choosing to block the road connecting Anbar Province (Falluja is the capitol of Anbar) with Baghdad.  Across Iraq, there were calls for Nouri to release the bodyguards of Minister of Finance Rafie al-Issawi.  Alsumaria notes demonstrators in Samarra accused Nouri of attempting to start a sectarian war.



Aymenn J Al-Tamimi Tweets of today's protests:


  1. : Friday protest placard from : "We won't forget the targeting of mosques of the Ahl as-Sunnah':


Iraqi Spring MC notes Baghdad protested and called for the detainees to be respected, in Ramadi they noted the right of the citizens to defend themselves and the right to call for an unresponsive government to be dissolved, they gathered in Mosul (despite 5 bridges being closed to try to stop the protest),  they gathered in Tikrit, they gathered in Samarra,  and they gathered in Jawala,


National Iraqi News Agency quotes an Anbar sit-in organizer, Sheikh Mohammed Fayyad, stating: "The citizens participated in the prayers that held in the courtyard northern Ramadi and eastern Fallujah cities , stressing that the goal of this trickle is to send one again a message to the governing in Baghdad that our demonstrations are peaceful and backed by citizens deep conviction."


It's not easy to protest in Iraq.  As Shajwan Tweeted last month:



A protest is the citizens best way in speaking their needs, not in though! No freedom of speech!




They have the Constitutional right to protest but, as the picture indicates, when they try to exercise that right, Nouri's thugs descend.   Nouri's worst attack on the protesters was the  April 23rd massacre of a sit-in in Hawija which resulted from  Nouri's federal forces storming in.  Alsumaria noted Kirkuk's Department of Health (Hawija is in Kirkuk)  announced 50 activists have died and 110 were injured in the assault.   AFP reported 53 dead for several days now -- indicating that some of the wounded did not recover.  UNICEF noted that the dead included 8 children (twelve more were injured).



The theme of today's protests was solidarity with Basra.  Basra?  Sunnis are being killed there in targeted executions.  BRussells Tribunal explains:


  Sunni Endowment Diwan announced last Monday the closure of Sunni mosques in Barah following a number of assassinations and killings during the past weeks in the second largest city of Iraq.  The office of the Diwan in Basrah stated that Sunni mosques in Basrah will only call for prayers (Adan) from the speakers of mosques and advised Sunni sect members to hold prayers at homes for the sake of saving their lives.
Saad Qusay, a very active journalist and correspondent in Basrah raised concerns some days ago about the escalated violence, stating that not even one single day goes by without witnessing an assassination or killing by militants using silencer guns.
Targeted assassinations and killings
On 17 September an Imam of the Sunni mosque Balad Salama in the district of Abi Al-Kaseeb was assassinated, Elaph, a London-based and widely read electronic newspaper, reports. The Imam was shot dead, close to his mosque, by militants who were in a passing car in the district of Abi Al-Kaseeb, a widely Sunni populated district. Two other people from Basrah were assassinated by militias last Monday, Elaph said today. In the same district, militants kidnapped Talal Abdul-Hafed Faroq, a clerk of the Sunni Endowment Diwan, who owns a grocery shop, and killed him a while after the kidnapping, Basrah News Agency reported.
Sheikh Nateq Yasseen, an Imam and speaker of Al-Sibelyat mosque, was assassinated by militant groups. Sheikh Yasseen was a former member of the municipal council of Abo Al-Kaseeb district.
Two worshippers were targeted and got killed thereafter at the district of Al-Ma’kal in Basrah. Meanwhile, a cleric at the Sunni Endowment Diwan in Basrah was injured due to an explosion of a bombed car inside the yard of the Diwan. Abdul-Kareem Al-Kazragi, director of the Sunni Endowment Diwan of south Iraq said that a bomb was placed in a bus taking the Diwan’s employees. Luckily none of the employees was injured as they had to do overtime for auditing work and the bus exploded causing no human casualties. Mr. Al-Kazragi called for strengthening security measures for the protection of the Sunni Endowment Diwan offices.
In the Al-Zubair district west of Basrah, militants using guns with silencers killed a worshipper close to Al-Kudairi mosque. Two brothers were kidnapped in Al-Jomhoreya quarter in Basrah by unknown militants who killed them and thrown their bodies before their house. One of the two brothers owns a shopping center, according to a security sources speaking to the Basrah News agency.  Three civilians killed and eleven others injured last Sunday when a bombed car exploded at an industrial street in Basrah.


Today was the nine month anniversary of continuous protests in Iraq.  You might think the world media could make time to cover the brave people who turn out despite being targeted, despite being followed, despite being called "terrorists" by Nouri al-Maliki.  They have shown so much strength and so much courage and could inspire the whole world if only the world knew what was taking place in Iraq.


Meanwhile Dar Addustour reports a  man in Karbala today launched his own protest. To register his objection to the lack of jobs in Iraq, 30-year-old Ali Mohammed attempted to set himself on fire in front of a Karbala government building.  He and his wife have four children and no income. So he threw gasoline on himself and attempted to burn himself to death but security officials were able to stop him before he set himself ablaze.

Violence continues in Iraq today with an attack on a mosque.  Xinhua reports, "The attack occurred when two improvised explosive devices hidden inside the air cooling system exploded in the Musab bin Omair Mosque near the city of Samarra, 120 km north of the capital Baghdad, as people were gathering in the mosque for noon prayers, a police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.Al Jazeera adds, "Samarra is a largely Sunni Muslim city that is home to a revered Shia shrine."  Ghazwan Hassan, Isabel Coles and Louise Ireland (Reuters) quote survivor Saleh al-Shamani, "During the Friday prayer suddenly a huge explosion took place. Black smoke filled the mosque, we could not see each other. I tried to stand, but I couldn't as I had some injuries in my legs."  Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) reports 18 dead and twenty-nine injured.

Mahmud Saleh (AFP) offers this perspective, "The blasts came a day after the bodies of 10 young men who had been shot dead were found in Baghdad, another reminder of the sectarian conflict in Iraq, during which militants frequently carried out summary executions."  While true, a better context would be to drop back to last Friday.  This was a Sunni mosque that was attacked.


That also happened last week.  AFP reported then, "Two roadside bombs exploded outside a mosque in the Iraqi city of Baquba killing 30 people, as Sunni Muslim worshippers were leaving following Friday prayers, police said. A further 25 people were wounded in the blasts, which went off in quick succession. The second tore through a crowd of people who had rushed to help those hurt in the first.  It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack."


Saleh also notes a Samarra mortar attack left 1 woman and her daughter dead and the woman's husband was left injured, while a second mortar attack claimed the life of another young female and left two members of her family injured and a Baghdad sticky bombing claimed the life of 1 doctor if police are believed (if medical sources are believed, the doctor was shot dead).  In addition, NINA reports a Baquba roadside bombing claimed 1 life and left two people injured, and 1 Iraqi soldier was kidnapped in Hawija.  Dar Addustour reports 42 corpses have been discovered dumped throughout Baghdad in the last 24 hours and that people see this as a sign of a return to a civil war.


We note repeatedly how the State Dept refuses/forgets to note violence in Iraq.  A State Dept friend called me to say it was noted in today's press briefing.  I held off the joy.  I'm glad I did.  Here's the exchange between State Dept spokesperson Marie Harf and Said Arikat (Al Quds Daily Newspaper):



QUESTION: Iraq?


MS. HARF: Iraq.


QUESTION: I wonder if you have any comments on the spike in violence in Iraq, including some accusations of ethnic cleansing.


MS. HARF: Yes, let me see what I have here. And I know we’ve talked about this for months now, actually – the levels of violence in Iraq – and it’s obviously something we take very seriously and remain deeply concerned about. We condemn, of course, in the strongest terms the recent terrorist attacks in Iraq.
We’ve said this and we’ll say it again, but these attacks are reprehensible, and quite frankly, they don’t represent what a majority of the Iraqi people want. These are extremist elements, terrorist elements in Iraq. We’ve talked about some of the spillover effect from Syria that it’s having, unfortunately, on Iraq. And we will continue to stand with the Iraqi people against this violence and our commitment to support efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
I would also note, I think, that just happened recently was a national conference of Iraq’s leaders from across the political spectrum to sign initiatives to ease tensions and set a direction, in fact, towards resolving political differences. So clearly, this violence is reprehensible, but I would note a positive step in terms of the political side and all parties being a part of it right now.



It took Said asking for Harf to address the topic and she had to flip through her cheat sheet notebook because she's still -- all these months later -- unprepared for her job and thrown by any question on Iraq -- despite the fact that the State Dept now leads the US mission in Iraq.


 EFE points out that today's mosque attack "came hours after leaders of most of Iraq’s political parties signed a pact of  'honor and social peace' to confront a resurgence of sectarian violence."  As we noted yesterday, the document is worthless.  Similar ones have been signed and changed nothing.  Already, that appears to be the case with the latest pretense at peace.  NINA notes Nouri's Dawa political party announced today that they should get every Iraqi citizen to sing the (worthless) statement.  They're for real?  Nouri refuses to conduct a census but they think they can get everyone in Iraq to sign that worthless contract.  Mushtaq Hussein Ali (Kitabat) notes the lack of substance among the signers and in the document itself.

Cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr was one of the leaders who didn't attend the fake conference Thursday.  Dar Addustour reports that he's announced he will use Sundays to meet with people face to face.  This can be read as a poke at Nouri's worthless weekly announcements (Nouri makes those on Wednesdays).  Wael Grace (Al Mada) speaks with the Sadr bloc and they explain their position is that Nouri heads the government, he's refused to implement power sharing, so the ball's in his hands and its up to Nouri to solve the problems (that he created).  As we noted yesterday, this is a US-led effort to make Nouri look good.  Asked about it in today's press briefing, US State Dept spokesperson Marie Harf played down the US involvement:




QUESTION: Is the U.S. taking any part in this reconciliation effort?


MS. HARF: The U.S. clearly supports all these efforts by Iraqi political leaders that constructively and cooperatively address the complex issues. I don’t have any more details for you than that. Obviously, senior people on the ground and here are in constant contact with our Iraqi counterparts.




From Thursday's snapshot:



The US Embassy organized the faux event with Brett McGurk acting as lead (and as usual, unable to keep his trap shut -- and somebody tell his latest wife that, true or false, there are rumors -- two reporters passed it on to me -- that his zipper's again come down).  The point was to create this 'reset' for Iraq that would have the press citing this non-event as a starting point and not the April event so many outlets are currently using.
 That would be the  April 23rd massacre of a sit-in in Hawija which resulted from  Nouri's federal forces storming in.  Alsumaria noted Kirkuk's Department of Health (Hawija is in Kirkuk)  announced 50 activists have died and 110 were injured in the assault.   AFP reported 53 dead for several days now -- indicating that some of the wounded did not recover.  UNICEF noted that the dead included 8 children (twelve more were injured).
 The US State Dept ordered a re-set point to be established ahead of Nouri's expected visit to the White House later this month.  They really want the press focusing on this non-event, on this so-called peace conference (which accomplished nothing) as opposed to focusing on the massacre as Nouri and Barack pose together for pictures.
 Today's staged event wasn't about peace.  It wasn't about the Iraqi people.  It was about spiffing up Nouri before he hits the US so that Barack is protected.



Also not attending was Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi who has been engaging in conversations via his Twitter feed.  Here's one example.




    1. Change will only happen if there is a disengagement from sectarianism and an adoption of civil-state building that serves all Iraqis.
    2. the first step to improve the democracy in Iraq is by changing the election system
    3. This is one of many steps including respect of the constitution, all-inclusive political process and real instution-buidling.




  • While they work at establishing dialogue with the Iraqi people, Nouri just keeps doing the same old thing.  BBC News observes:



    In recent weeks, Iraqi security forces have reportedly arrested hundreds of alleged al-Qaeda members in and around Baghdad as part of a campaign the Shia-led government is calling "Revenge for the martyrs".
    But the operations, which have taken place mostly in Sunni districts, have angered the Sunni community and failed to halt the violence.

    It's not just failing to halt the violence, it's breeding violence.  Nouri has had seven years to grasp that this won't work but he's incapable of learning from his mistakes -- or even admitting that he can make mistakes. IRIN looks at what Nouri and others are attempting to 'address' the violence.  Excerpt:


    “So far, there appears to be little appetite by political leaders for the compromises necessary to halt the escalating violence,” ICG said in its monthly CrisisWatch. “Instead, the government has requested from the US additional weaponry and intelligence support in order to ‘combat terrorism’.” In August, the government arrested over 670 people, ICG said, as part of a new military operation called “Martyrs’ Revenge”.
    The operation focused on large-scale arrests of suspected “terrorists” in predominantly Sunni Arab areas on the outskirts of the capital, Baghdad, as well as seizures of weapons. While the operation saw some successes, it - like the Kirkuk trench - also poses some risks.
    “Any short-term improvements in terms of security could be outweighed in the long-term if the Sunni community feels it is being targeted by the government for a crime they have not committed,” said Hayder al Khoei, associate fellow in the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House in London.
    Experts say the rise in violence in Kirkuk Province is linked to the growing strength, nationwide, of al-Qaeda and other extremist groups in recent months. Instability stemming from power-sharing disagreements makes Kirkuk an easy target for the groups.



    In other news of violence,  Carol J. Williams (Los Angeles Times) reports:

    A massacre this month at an Iranian exile camp in Iraq that killed 52 people under international protection was an act of premeditated slaughter and should be thoroughly investigated by the United Nations, two former foreign ministers told the world body Thursday.
    Former foreign ministers Bernard Kouchner of France and Sid Ahmed Ghozali of Algeria told a U.N. panel in Geneva that the Sept. 1 raid on the exile refuge known as Camp Ashraf represents "a crime against humanity." The former top diplomats also said they had grave fear for the safety of seven survivors of the attack who were taken hostage.



    As of this month, Camp Ashraf is empty.  All remaining members of the community have been moved to Camp Hurriya (also known as Camp Liberty).  Camp Ashraf housed a group of Iranian dissidents who were  welcomed to Iraq by Saddam Hussein in 1986 and he gave them Camp Ashraf and six other parcels that they could utilize. In 2003, the US invaded Iraq.The US government had the US military lead negotiations with the residents of Camp Ashraf. The US government wanted the residents to disarm and the US promised protections to the point that US actions turned the residents of Camp Ashraf into protected person under the Geneva Conventions. This is key and demands the US defend the Ashraf community in Iraq from attacks.  The Bully Boy Bush administration grasped that -- they were ignorant of every other law on the books but they grasped that one.  As 2008 drew to a close, the Bush administration was given assurances from the Iraqi government that they would protect the residents. Yet Nouri al-Maliki ordered the camp repeatedly attacked after Barack Obama was sworn in as US President. July 28, 2009 Nouri launched an attack (while then-US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was on the ground in Iraq). In a report released this summer entitled "Iraqi government must respect and protect rights of Camp Ashraf residents," Amnesty International described this assault, "Barely a month later, on 28-29 July 2009, Iraqi security forces stormed into the camp; at least nine residents were killed and many more were injured. Thirty-six residents who were detained were allegedly tortured and beaten. They were eventually released on 7 October 2009; by then they were in poor health after going on hunger strike." April 8, 2011, Nouri again ordered an assault on Camp Ashraf (then-US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was again on the ground in Iraq when the assault took place). Amnesty International described the assault this way, "Earlier this year, on 8 April, Iraqi troops took up positions within the camp using excessive, including lethal, force against residents who tried to resist them. Troops used live ammunition and by the end of the operation some 36 residents, including eight women, were dead and more than 300 others had been wounded. Following international and other protests, the Iraqi government announced that it had appointed a committee to investigate the attack and the killings; however, as on other occasions when the government has announced investigations into allegations of serious human rights violations by its forces, the authorities have yet to disclose the outcome, prompting questions whether any investigation was, in fact, carried out."  Those weren't the last attacks.  They were the last attacks while the residents were labeled as terrorists by the US State Dept.  (September 28, 2012, the designation was changed.)   In spite of this labeling, Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) observed that "since 2004, the United States has considered the residents of Camp Ashraf 'noncombatants' and 'protected persons' under the Geneva Conventions."  So the US has an obligation to protect the residents.  3,300 are no longer at Camp Ashraf.  They have moved to Camp Hurriyah for the most part.  A tiny number has received asylum in other countries. Approximately 100 were still at Camp Ashraf when it was attacked Sunday.   That was the second attack this year alone.   February 9th of this year, the Ashraf residents were again attacked, this time the ones who had been relocated to Camp Hurriyah.  Trend News Agency counted 10 dead and over one hundred injured.  Prensa Latina reported, " A rain of self-propelled Katyusha missiles hit a provisional camp of Iraqi opposition Mujahedin-e Khalk, an organization Tehran calls terrorists, causing seven fatalities plus 50 wounded, according to an Iraqi official release."  They were attacked again September 1st.   Adam Schreck (AP) reported that the United Nations was able to confirm the deaths of 52 Ashraf residents.



    For another aspect of the Ashraf community in the news, we'll drop back to Monday's snapshot:

    US Senator Robert Menendez issued a statement on the attack which included, "I hold the Iraqi government directly responsible to protect the community, to investigate this matter thoroughly, and to prosecute the perpetrators of this heinous act. I am deeply concerned for the seven hostages who were taken during this attack. The Iraqi government should act swiftly to determine their whereabouts and ensure their safety. There is added urgency for the global community, as well as for the United States, to help resettle this community outside of Iraq, and end this cycle of ongoing terror attacks."  Seven Ashraf hostages? Nouri's government denied they existed but they did and do. Last week, UNHCR issued the following statement:

    These seven are all known by UNHCR to be asylum-seekers, and the agency hopes to have an opportunity to interview them. In light of the numerous and persistent reports over the past week that these individuals may be at risk of forced return to Iran, UNHCR calls upon the Government of Iraq to locate them, to ensure their physical security, and to safeguard them against return to Iran against their will.


    US House Rep Dana Rohrabacher issued a statement noting them and the continued attacks on the Ashraf community.  He observed, "The refugees disarmed themselves with faith in U.S. Government guarantees of their safety. If we fail them, nobody will believe us again." The World Organisation Against Torture issued a statement and a call for action:


    According to the information received, on 1st September 2013 seven Iranian exiles, members of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI), an Iranian opposition group, were abducted from Camp Ashraf during an attack carried out by the Iraqi security forces, which also led to the death of 52 people and several injured[1]. The seven residents are: Ms. Fatemeh Tahoori, Ms. Vajihe Karbalaey, Ms. Mahnaz Azizi, Ms. Lila Nabahat, Ms. Zahra Ramezani, Ms. Fatema Sakhie and Mr. Mohammad Ratebi.  
    According to the same information received, on 12th September 2013, Mr. Kamel Amin, Deputy of the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights, confirmed the arrest of seven members of the PMOI and announced that they are in the custody of the security forces.
    OMCT is gravely concerned about the fate and safety of Ms. Fatemeh Tahoori, Ms. Vajihe Karbalaey, Ms. Mahnaz Azizi, Ms. Lila Nabahat, Ms. Zahra Ramezani, Ms. Fatema Sakhie and Mr. Mohammad Ratebi. OMCT urges the Iraqi authorities to immediately disclose their exact whereabouts and to guarantee their physical and psychological integrity at all times, in accordance with international human rights law.
    OMCT fears that they may be forcibly returned to Iran, where they would be at risk of torture and other forms of ill-treatment. OMCT recalls to the Iraqi authorities the absolute prohibition of sending a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he or she would be in danger of being subjected to torture and other forms of ill-treatment or other serious human rights violations.
    OMCT further urges the Iraqi authorities to immediately release them in the absence of valid legal charges that are consistent with international law and standards, or, if such charges exist, to bring them promptly before an impartial, independent and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times.
    Action requested
    Please write to the authorities in Iraq urging them to:
    i.           Immediately disclose the exact whereabouts of Ms. Fatemeh Tahoori, Ms. Vajihe Karbalaey, Ms. Mahnaz Azizi, Ms. Lila Nabahat, Ms. Zahra Ramezani, Ms. Fatema Sakhie and Mr. Mohammad Ratebi;
    ii.         Guarantee, in all circumstances, their physical and psychological integrity, including by not forcibly returning them to Iran, where they would be at risk of torture and other ill-treatment;
    iii.        Order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges that are consistent with international law and standards, or, if such charges exist, bring them promptly before an impartial, independent and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
    iv.        Guarantee unconditional access to all members of their family and their lawyers;
    v.         Guarantee that they are examined by independent doctors and receive adequate medical care;
    i.           Carry out a prompt, effective, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events, the results of which must be made public, in order to bring those responsible before a competent, independent and impartial tribunal and apply penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
    ii.         Ensure the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.

    Addresses

    Ø  Prime Minister, H.E. Nouri Kamil Al-Maliki, Email: info@pmo.iq;
    Ø  Minister of Justice, H.E. Hassan al-Shammari, Ministry of Justice;
    Ø  Minister of Human Rights, H.E. Mohammed Shia´al-Sudani, Ministry of Human Rights, Email:minister1@humanrights.gov.iq
    Ø  H.E Mr. Mohammad Sabir Ismail, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Email: mission.iraq@ties.itu.int, Fax. +41 22 733 03 26
    Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Iraq in your respective countries.
    ***



    Today, there's an unexpected development with regards to the 7 hostages.  Alsumaria reports Nouri issued a statement declaring his security forces were not holding any hostages.

    Raymond Tanter served on the senior staff of the National Security Council during the Reagan administration.  He weighs in on the Ashraf community and Nouri at The Hill:

    While protecting Ashraf residents seems at first blush to be a minor issue, it is of great strategic import regarding U.S. credibility: If Tehran and Damascus view American diplomacy as unable to persuade Baghdad to make any compromises, the Iranian and Syrian regimes are less likely to take seriously U.S. threats to use military force.
    While tolerating the Iraqi regime as being a naysayer erodes U.S. credibility, accepting evil deeds by the regime erodes the American claim to moral exceptionalism in the world. Evil by Iraqi guardians is not the banal operations of faceless bureaucrats merely executing orders from above. Rather, their evil deeds are a part of a strategy for Baghdad to carry out the goal of Tehran to torture, persecute, and forcibly repatriate to Iran members of the main prodemocracy organization that rejects clerical rule in Iran. And because international humanitarian law precludes transfer of persons from one state to another if they face risk of persecution, the evil deeds committed by an American ally tars our moral status and credibility of U.S. deterrent and coercive threats.




    Turning to northern Iraq,  AFP offers a photo of Kurish women carrying flags with "the portrait of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani."  No, he hasn't died -- at least the death rumor's been denied.  He also hasn't returned to Iraq.   Last December,  Iraqi President Jalal Talabani suffered a stroke.   The incident took place late on December 17th (see the December 18th snapshot) and resulted in Jalal being admitted to Baghdad's Medical Center Hospital.    Thursday, December 20th, he was moved to Germany.  He remains in Germany currently.

    AFP's photo is about the KRG voting tomorrow in provincial elections (early voting -- for the security forces -- took place Thursday).  Kira Walker (Rudaw) offers:


    The lead-up to Saturday’s legislative elections in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region has spurred a flurry of near-celebrations on the streets of Erbil, the Kurdish capital.
    On the walls of nearly every office and home, hanging from lamp posts or moving along on the sides of busses, are the smiling, bearded or turbaned campaign posters and banners of about 1,000 candidates in Saturday’s race for the 111-seat Kurdish assembly. Colorful party flags billow in the wind.
    For many foreigners or Kurds who have spent long years abroad -- and there are many of both in this three-province Kurdish enclave that remains Iraq’s only haven of calm and economic prosperity – the elections evoke both curiosity and excitement.
    Elections in Iraqi Kurdistan, which has had its own Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, have been internationally as free and fair, and as the only successful democratic experiment in the region.

    BBC Monitoring notes, "This is the fourth parliamentary polls since Iraqi Kurds established the region in Irbil, Sulaimaniya and Dahuk provinces in 1991."  They go on to review the basics of tomorrow's vote in an easy to follow question and answer format.  The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization opines:


    The legislative elections in Iraqi Kurdistan scheduled for 21 September 2013 will be a crucial political event in the history of the autonomous region in northern Iraq, as it may be a turning point to change the political shape of the next parliament, as well as the new government cabinet. Campaigns for the fourth legislative elections in Iraqi Kurdistan started on 28 August and lasted until 17 September. Rates of pre-election violence have thus far been relatively low. Female politicians are hoping to win more seats in the regional legislature, continuing the trend of the previous legislative elections in 2009. In the 21 September legislative elections 2.8 million out of the regions 5.5 million inhabitants are eligible to vote.


    The two main parties are the KDP (led by KRG President Massoud Barzani) and the PUK (which is supposed to be headed by Jalal Talabani).  As noted earlier, Talabani's in Germany and has been for nine months.  Prashant Rao (AFP) reports that, despite this, the PUK has been using Talbani's image in various campaign materials::

    The struggles facing Jalal Talabani’s bloc, which for decades has held a duopoly on power in the autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq, could prove instructive for parties across the country. 
    Many of them, like his bloc, remain dependent on personalities rather than policies, ahead of national elections due in less than a year.
    Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has faced tough competition from a breakaway faction as well as Islamist and Communist groupings in its home base of Sulaimaniyah ahead of the three-province Kurdish region’s September 21 parliamentary election."


    If the PUK does less well than in 2009, there will be complaining.  If the PUK does really bad, there will be outrage.   The one who will face the most criticism may be First Lady of Iraq Hero Ibrahim Ahmed who has been reluctant to heed the advice of PUK leaders and assume the presidency in her husband's absence.  Could she?  Yes.  In the plan they outlined, Hero would not be "President Hero," she would be carrying out the will of her husband while he remains in Germany.  She would be voting by proxy.  She has refused that (just as she refused to take over the position outright) arguing that to do so would leave the impression that Jalal was unable to do his job.

    She's correct people would assume that.  But Jalal has now been out of the country for nine months.  Iraq's been without a president for nine months.  Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi's recent revelation that he was refused when he attempted to visit Jalal in the hospital last April does not bode well for Jalal's health or his stature.  And it really makes the point for the posters in Arabic social media who compared the May 18th photos of 'healthy' Jalal to Weekend At Bernies. (In Weekend At Bernies, two men use Bernie's corpse to pretend Bernie's still alive.)

    If  Hero has the most to lose in tomorrow's vote, the one with the most to gain from the PUK suffering a big loss is Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari who has wanted to grab the Iraqi presidency for some time and attempted a move right after Jalal's stroke but was rebuffed by those in party leadership loyal to Jalal and Hero.


    Credit to Prashant Rao for covering the fact that Jalal's absence may negatively impact the PUK vote tomorrow but is no one going to run through what that means?  Probably not.  It appears AFP is the only western media outlet that's going to report on the KRG elections from inside the Kurdistan Region.

    Sangar Jamal (Niqash) reports on the elections:





    Nazad Jalal has never travelled quite so much before. During the past ten days, the 31-year-old political science graduate, who runs his own media website, has been touring as many places in Iraqi Kurdistan as he can get to. Jalal is standing as a candidate in elections in the semi-autonomous region, due to be held this coming Saturday, Sept.21. Special votes were cast on Thursday, Sept. 19.

    Jalal is standing as part of Iraqi Kurdistan’s largest opposition party, the Change movement.

    “I was always in touch with the people here through my work,” Jalal told NIQASH. “So I knew about how they live and their problems. But I didn’t have that much contact with them personally; I had more contact with my writers and with politicians. But now that I am campaigning in these elections, I’ve really met a lot of people and had very close contact with them.”

    Jalal is one of among 1,129 candidates in the region with similar ambitions. And they’ve all been pounding the streets, streets absolutely littered with campaign posters.

    Because of the way that elections are structured this time around – voters can vote for the candidates individually as well as for the parties in a semi-open electoral system – the campaigning has been particularly fierce since it began at the end of August.

    For example, Kasha Dara, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, (PUK) who will remain an MP in the Iraqi Kurdish parliament until November, is the 11th name on her party’s list. Together with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the PUK currently run the region – and during the last elections Dara was also on her party’s list, therefore got a seat. However these elections she must campaign as much as possible for herself.

    She insists she’s made the same sort of effort during the last elections though. It’s just that this system “brings the candidate closer to the people. And this will increase credibility in the elections as well as competition between candidates.”

    The biggest parties competing in the elections have helped their representatives out financially. Those parties – the KDP and the PUK which currently rule the region, the Change movement and the two Islamic parties – have also mobilized their own media outlets to support their candidates.

    One of the PUK’s candidates, Kawthar Karim, reported that her party had given each candidate around IQD12 million (around US$10,000) to help them campaign. The KDP has apparently done similar to allow candidates to print posters and cards. 

    The Change movement printed 4,000 posters for each of its candidates and the two Islamic parties also gave their candidates some cash as well as helped them print posters.






    al mada

    Thursday, September 19, 2013

    The paper of war

    Bill Van Auken (WSWS) reports:


    In a front-page article Tuesday, the New York Times reported that a United Nations report released the day before on the August 21 chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of Damascus “strongly implicated the Syrian government.”
    In fact, the report did no such thing. The story’s headline, “UN implicates Syria in using chemical weapons,” is a cynical distortion of reality tailored to meet the needs of the US government for war propaganda.

    While the UN inspectors reported “clear and convincing evidence” that surface-to-surface rockets carrying sarin gas were used in the attack, the report provided no indication as to whether it was government forces that fired these rockets, or the Al Qaeda-led “rebels” that are backed by Washington and its allies. As the report states, “The conclusion is that chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict between the parties in the Syrian Arab Republic.”
    These inspectors were invited into Syria by the government of President Bashar al-Assad and were set to investigate three separate sites of reported chemical weapons attack, which the Assad regime has blamed on the Islamist anti-government militias. In one of these, which took place on March 19 on the village of Khan al Assal outside Aleppo, the majority of the victims were government soldiers.
    Neither the Times nor anyone else charging the Assad regime with ordering the August 21 attack have presented any explanation for why it would do so on the very day that the weapons inspectors that it had invited into Syria were beginning their work just a 15-minute walk away from the site of the attack. On the other hand, the motive for the “rebels” to stage such an attack and blame it on the government is obvious: to provoke Western military intervention in support of their flagging insurgency.
    The Times article does not concern itself with such questions. Rather, it deduces from the report’s findings that only the government could have been responsible. This is based fundamentally on the assertion that the “rebel forces … are not known to possess such weapons.” It similarly quotes US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Powers as claiming that there is “no evidence that the opposition possesses sarin.”



    If the New York Times couldn't sell war, why would it publish?

    I cannot think of one war in my lifetime that the Times hasn't pushed for.

    It's really amazing how many papers have gone under in New York while the War Hawk Times has remained.

    Of course, circulation is down and the paper's in a risky place. I would give it ten more years tops before the family loses control of the paper and a new owner buys them out.

    I won't shed a tear.

    How many papers can claim the death toll the Times can?

    Very few.
    "Iraq snapshot" (The Common Ills):
    Tuesday, September 18, 2013.  Chaos and violence continue, the Iraqi ambassador to the US does a Twitter hang, one topic dominates after the conversation ends, Nouri al-Maliki asks the Iraqi people to help him hurt them, empty chatter about improving public services returns, the KRG gears up for provincial elections, trying to sell war on Syria hurts President Barack Obama and US House Rep Debbie Wasserman Schults, and more.


    Lukman Faily is the Iraqi Ambassador to the United States.  Today he used Twitter to take questions and provide answers.  Some were fairly basic questions about Faily himself, having to do with his experiences and his plans.  Sara Miller asked one of those.



    1. How many countries have you lived in? Do you have a favorite?


    1. . I've lived in 5 countries. Iraq is home; Japan is close to my heart and I hope US is closer

    Cecily Hilleary wondered if he might take part in competitions while in the United States, specifically in marathons.


    1. A light question: Will you be running in any US marathons while you're here? Registration for 2014 Boston is open!



    1. . yes, certainly will join. I was told the Boston will open in October. I'm staying away from MarineCorp marathon!


    Other questions were more to do with the relationship of the US and Iraq such as the following two exchanges.



    Why is Iraq still requesting help and aid of the US?
    Retweeted by
    Expand

    1. . Iraq is not asking for foreign aid but for political, security cooperation as a strategic partner to the US



    1. Mr Lukman, any news about future weapon deals with the US, including possibly Apaches or UAVs etc?


    1. . we're in process of purchasing $10b in US military equip. We're natural allies; military cooperation part of that


    It's a shame Faily wasn't asked to define exactly what sort of security cooperation in Iraq that Nouri's government is seeking from the US government.  In the weapons exchange, one of the first signs that the Twitter hang was not all lollypops took place as Shirin Nariman Tweeted a question.




    1. is this purchases aims to be used to supress more and also killing Iranian dissidents


    She received no answer to her question.  This would become a pattern throughout the Twitter exchange especially with regards to the topic of Camp Ashraf.

    However, claims that the ambassador "ducked" questions about Camp Ashraf are untrue.  He responded to two questions on the Ashraf community.



    1. What is the current state of the investigation into the massacre ?


    . we await Prime Minister's special committee results to be released once full investigation completed
    View conversation


    1. . we are awaiting the PM's special investigative committee on the event
    2. . we condemn murder of Ashraf residents. In constant negotiation w/special envoy for resettlement outside of Iraq


    Let's define the Camp Ashraf community for those who may not be familiar with it.  As of this month, Camp Ashraf is empty.  All remaining members of the community have been moved to Camp Hurriya (also known as Camp Liberty).  Camp Ashraf housed a group of Iranian dissidents who were  welcomed to Iraq by Saddam Hussein in 1986 and he gave them Camp Ashraf and six other parcels that they could utilize. In 2003, the US invaded Iraq.The US government had the US military lead negotiations with the residents of Camp Ashraf. The US government wanted the residents to disarm and the US promised protections to the point that US actions turned the residents of Camp Ashraf into protected person under the Geneva Conventions. This is key and demands the US defend the Ashraf community in Iraq from attacks.  The Bully Boy Bush administration grasped that -- they were ignorant of every other law on the books but they grasped that one.  As 2008 drew to a close, the Bush administration was given assurances from the Iraqi government that they would protect the residents. Yet Nouri al-Maliki ordered the camp repeatedly attacked after Barack Obama was sworn in as US President. July 28, 2009 Nouri launched an attack (while then-US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was on the ground in Iraq). In a report released this summer entitled "Iraqi government must respect and protect rights of Camp Ashraf residents," Amnesty International described this assault, "Barely a month later, on 28-29 July 2009, Iraqi security forces stormed into the camp; at least nine residents were killed and many more were injured. Thirty-six residents who were detained were allegedly tortured and beaten. They were eventually released on 7 October 2009; by then they were in poor health after going on hunger strike." April 8, 2011, Nouri again ordered an assault on Camp Ashraf (then-US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was again on the ground in Iraq when the assault took place). Amnesty International described the assault this way, "Earlier this year, on 8 April, Iraqi troops took up positions within the camp using excessive, including lethal, force against residents who tried to resist them. Troops used live ammunition and by the end of the operation some 36 residents, including eight women, were dead and more than 300 others had been wounded. Following international and other protests, the Iraqi government announced that it had appointed a committee to investigate the attack and the killings; however, as on other occasions when the government has announced investigations into allegations of serious human rights violations by its forces, the authorities have yet to disclose the outcome, prompting questions whether any investigation was, in fact, carried out."  Those weren't the last attacks.  They were the last attacks while the residents were labeled as terrorists by the US State Dept.  (September 28, 2012, the designation was changed.)   In spite of this labeling, Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) observed that "since 2004, the United States has considered the residents of Camp Ashraf 'noncombatants' and 'protected persons' under the Geneva Conventions."  So the US has an obligation to protect the residents.  3,300 are no longer at Camp Ashraf.  They have moved to Camp Hurriyah for the most part.  A tiny number has received asylum in other countries. Approximately 100 were still at Camp Ashraf when it was attacked Sunday.   That was the second attack this year alone.   February 9th of this year, the Ashraf residents were again attacked, this time the ones who had been relocated to Camp Hurriyah.  Trend News Agency counted 10 dead and over one hundred injured.  Prensa Latina reported, " A rain of self-propelled Katyusha missiles hit a provisional camp of Iraqi opposition Mujahedin-e Khalk, an organization Tehran calls terrorists, causing seven fatalities plus 50 wounded, according to an Iraqi official release."  They were attacked again September 1st.   Adam Schreck (AP) reported that the United Nations was able to confirm the deaths of 52 Ashraf residents.

    The idea that Nouri can investigate the attack is ludicrous.  Not only have we mocked the idea, the United Nations has insisted that an independent investigation is needed.

    Ambassador Faily Lukman did briefly address the Ashraf community.  If you've read the entire Twitter conversation, you know he spent more time on that issue than any other.

    But he also ignored questions on Camp Ashraf (as he did when the woman asked about whether US-acquired weapons would be used to suppress the Iraqi people -- a serious question which should have been answered).  We've used Lukman Fairly's Twitter feed for the above exchanges and not the Twitter feed for the conversation itself.  You have to page down and page down and page down repeatedly through one message after another about the Ashraf community.  A few examples.


      1. Can you give us an idea of when that investigation might be complete--and at what stage it is now?
    1. If Iraq cannot protect Iranian dissidents, should you hand over the security to Bluehelmets?
    2. Latest News indicates: hostages R under torture in solidarity confinement!This is CrimeAgainstHumanity ,
    3. Why 2 weeks ago iraqi forces attacked unarmed Geneva protected & massacred 52 residents & took 7 hostages?
    4. Why does Iraq prevent the security action 4refugees? hostages! @alorabiee
    5. Unami informed that Iraqi gov preventing the transfer of helmet,safety vests:Why do you want them unprotected @Alorabiee
    6. What is the current state of the investigation into the massacre ?
    7. Mr. this was the 5th massacre in . Can you guarantee it was the last one? How?

    and:



    1. 9/1,Al-Maleki's Golden 4ces attacked ,Commited crime against Humanity Executed 52Reffugees!Y?
    2. Why 6 women,1 man from massacre R under interrogation by forces in Al-Hout Prison?
    3. When will 7 under interrogation by forces in Al-Hout Prison be free?


    Every hour since the conversation ended (the ambassador spent the afternoon at the Brookings Institution), people have Tweeted.  They've noted that reporters are prevented by the Iraqi government from entering Camp Hurriya, how the UN is prevented, why there are no barrier walls around the compound to protect the Ashraf community, etc.

    The Ashraf community.  We noted some time ago that we would continue to use Ashraf.  That is how the community is known and part of the move to the new compound was about stripping them of their international recognition.  You'll notice that the Ashraf supporters today are doing the same.  Good for them.  Trying to create awareness around Camp Hurriya would be wasting time.  They are known for what took place at their original base in Iraq and they are, and remain, the Ashraf community.

    The US government has a legal obligation to protect the Ashraf community.  Their well being is and remains a serious issue.  We have treated it as such for years now and been attacked for doing just that.  So let me repeat: Ashraf was not "ducked."  Two questions on it were answered.  Since the event ended, there has been a major effort to continue Tweeting about the issue which is fine, it's an important issue.  But if you say someone "ducked" an issue, they need to have ignored it.  Go through the actual Twitter conversation -- not the hours of Tweeting that has taken place since -- and you will see the ambassador responded to two questions on the topic and, in doing so, spent more time on that topic than on any other in the conversation.


    Dropping back to Monday's snapshot:



    While they call for action, Iraq's Ambassador to the US is attempting to keep Iraq on the American   radar.  The Associated Press' Lara Jakes Tweets:



    1. CORRECTION: Twitter Q&A with Ambo to US is at 11a ET on WEDNESDAY

    2. Hamdulilah: Ambo to US won't let drop off the DC FP radar. Twitter Q&A with him baccher, 11a ET. Ahlan wah Salen!



    Also planning to speak on Wednesday is Osama al-Nujaifi.  NINA explains:


    Media Bureau of the Speaker of Parliament announced that Speaker Usama al-Nijaifi, plans to hold a press conference on Wednesday, Sep. 18, at the Parliament building. [. . .]  Political source sources said that in the press conference, Nijaifi will talk about his visits to each of Ankara and Tehran.



     Wednesday has become the day for political speeches in Iraq.  Haider Najm (Niqash) reports:



    Did he really say that? In mid-August the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki decided to start giving a weekly, televised address to the nation. The idea is apparently modelled on the way the US president works. And al-Maliki’s most recent speech was all about his ideas to solve the Syrian crisis next door.


    Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi did speak today.  KUNA reports on his press conference:


    The trip to Ankara last week aimed primarily to smooth over bilateral relations between Iraq and Turkey which suffered alienation over the past few months, said the house speaker, who revealed that high-placed officials from both countries were poised to exchange visits, chiefly among them being the Turkish house speaker who is due to visit Iraq at a later date.
    Furthermore, he told reporters at the press conference that his visit to Iran likewise meant to strengthen ties with that country, noting that his visits to Iran and Turkey had also the overarching objective to create regional understanding among his country, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, along with Turkey and Iran toward dealing with the looming problem of sectarianism and ethnic strife.
    He warned that the sectarian scourge, in evidence in his country, could spill over adversely to the rest of the region if the whole region did not get together to root it out conjointly.


    All Iraq News adds that al-Nujaifi declared Turkey's Speaker of Parliament, Cemil Cicek, will visit Iraq next week, and that he stated, "We reached agreement with Turkey regarding resuming normal relations and exchanging relations with Turkey."  In addition, All Iraq News notes, "The Speaker, Osama al-Nijaifi, assured that he will visit Jordan soon to discuss preserving the rights of the Iraqi community in Jordan."

    Nouri al-Maliki spoke today as well in his weekly address.  AP notes he spoke of his counter-insurgency campaign and asked the people to help with that.  But counter-insurgency is war on the native population and Nouri's 'answer' is only dividing the country further thereby increasing the violencce.  All Iraq News notes that Sadr bloc MP Hussein al-Mansouri issued a statement today declaring, "Maliki does not allow any security official to attend the parliament sessions for investigations over the disturbed security performance which makes it impossible to investigate Maliki.  Maliki does not recognize the representatives of the Iraqi people and behave as a dictator.  The political blocs to support the security forces in fighting terrorism to make the performance of the Intelligence system successful."
    Again, Nouri's ways are not working.  National Iraqi News Agency reports a Baghdad bombing took place today in front of the Ministry of Education and 2 people were killed with another six injured,  a Baghdad roadside bombing left three people injured, a highway bombing left military Col Mohammad Qasim injured, and a Tuz Khurmatu suicide car bomber claimed the life of 1 child and left twenty-five other people injuredAlsumaria notes that in Nineveh Province, the police chief survived an attack on his convoy but 1 of his bodyguards was killed and two more injured in the bombing. Pakistan's The News International adds, "In Mosul, also in northern Iraq, four soldiers were wounded in another explosion."  Through yesterday, Iraq Body Count counts 650 violent deaths in Iraq so far this month.


    Since December 21st, protests have been ongoing in Iraq.  At issue are the lack of basic public services (such as electricity, potable water, etc.), the disappearance of many in the Iraqi 'justice' system, the rape of women held in Iraqi prisons and detention centers, the lack of jobs, the targeting of Sunnis and much more.  But on that first one?  Construction Week notes, "Iraq plans to spend in the region of $1.5bn (IQD 1,744.6bn) on water and sewage projects over the next two to three years, according to the country’s municipal affairs minister."  Long overdue but don't rejoice yet.  WaterTech e-News Daily adds, "The Sept. 18 story quoted Municipalities and Public Works Minister Adil Mhoder, who stated, “We will ask companies to bid for them in 2014. By the end of 2013, these projects will have passed the planning phase and will be needing implementation."  Nouri has been prime minister of Iraq since 2006.  It has a huge, billion dollar budget and he's spent none of that on the public services.  The new reports only indicate that he's prepared to jawbone about it.  Whether or not any real construction gets started in 2014 is debatable and, don't forget, he wants to have a third term as prime minister and parliamentary elections are supposed to take place next year.  Also don't forget that he makes public services promises before each parlimentary election.  In his speech today, Nouri also declared the government was willing to meet the demands of the protesters.  He's sung that song before.  Alsumaria notes he last sang it August 31st.  And yet nothing has changed.

    All Iraq News notes that Change (or Goran) MP Bayazid Hassan states they will not allow a forgery of the provincial election results to take place.  The CIA-backed Goran is seen as an 'independent' party in the Kurdistan Regional Government where the KDP (led by KRG President Massoud Barzani) and the PUK (led by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani) are the two dominant parties. You know it's election time when Goran starts introducing "fraud" and "forgery" into the dialogue.  What elections?

    Iraq has 18 provinces. 14 of them have voted in provincial elections this fall, four have not.  Because Nouri has failed to implement Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution, Kirkuk has not held elections.  That leaves three provinces.

    4 Hoteliers explains:

    The Kurdistan Region is a federated region in Northern Iraq counsisting of three main governorates: Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok.
    In contrast to other parts of Iraq, the Kurdistan region has remained peaceful for the most part of the last decade and as a result there has been an upsurge in economic activity in the region, and the demand for all types of goods and services is on the rise.

    Those three provinces do not vote in provincial elections with the rest of Iraq.  Kamal Chomani (World Bulletin) reports:

    Next Saturday (September 21) the Kurdistani people in Iraqi Kurdistan will go to the ballot box to elect 111 nominees to represent them in the next Parliament. Next Saturday will either become a turning point in Kurdistan’s history towards radical reforms in the political system or bring disappointment to the people.
    Whereas the two ruling parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by the Kurdistan Region’s Masoud Barzani and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) led by Iraq’s President Jalal Talabani, have been preoccupied with their history to attract the voters by focusing on the developments which the Kurdistan Region has enjoyed over the past four years, the opposition parties— the Gorran Movement led by Nawshirwan Mustafa, Islamic Union led by Muhammad Faraj and Islamic Group led by Ali Bapir— are focusing on a better future for all including: equality, the rule of law, the revelation of hundreds of corruption documents, transparency in oil income, combatting family rule, the various failures in the 22 year administration of the KDP and PUK, and the atrocities which the two ruling parties have committed against Kurdistan’s people.


    Armando Cordoba (Rudaw) writes:

    Those who believe that the accusations of election irregularities are baseless and a last-ditch effort by political parties to gain against the KDP should consider the independent reports of the 2009 elections, which were overseen by the UN mission in Iraq and nearly 40,000 other international and Iraqi monitors.
    A report by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) cited “anecdotal cases of serious voting irregularities. Independent monitors like Jabar Amin, from the Swedish Green Party, reported many people voting more than once. He said the ink used to fingerprint voters, to avoid double-voting, had been easily washable.
    There were also allegations of observers being shut out of polling stations for “at least half the day,” in Duhok and Sulaimani, according to a report from the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR).
    There were 415 claims filed about voting issues with the Independent High Electoral Commission But they were dismissed on grounds they were improperly filed. But just because someone filled out the wrong box or the wrong form does not delegitimize the claim. 

    But just because someone made a claim of irregularities doesn't mean they took place either. Claims that are not verified are merely assertions.  Naturally, there are more claims of irregularities when the other provinces vote (because there are more people in the 14 other provinces -- again Kirkuk did not vote).  And anecdotal evidence is also known as "talk."  I don't know that there were or were not abuses in the 2009 KRG vote but neither does anyone making assertions based on unexamined claims.

    Hiwa Osman (Rudaw) writes about verifiable problems with the upcoming vote:


    The vote may be truly free: Everyone is free to run, to say whatever they want and vote for whoever they want. But this is not enough, and far from fair.
    An absence of laws that regulate political activities in Kurdistan and in Iraq prevents any party outside the current political spectrum from stepping into parliament. It also allows the entrenched large parties to do or say as they please.
    During campaigning and the elections themselves their respect for rules and regulations set out by the electoral commission becomes a matter of goodwill, an act of philanthropy. That is because there is no strong rule of law that makes it illegal for people in government to abuse their positions or powers.
    In the absence of a regulatory framework, government officials have been free to campaign during office hours and use government facilities without any questions or objections from the election regulators. The regulators themselves have historically been weak to enforce regulations, because have mostly been political appointees.
    Another thing that makes the elections unfair is the non-existence of a population census providing a clear picture of voter data, or the work of the electoral bodies regulating the vote.

    In other KRG news, Patrick Osgood and Rawaz Tahir (Iraq Oil Report) explain, "The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has signed a domestic gas sales agreement that will reduce its multi-billion-dollar annual diesel tab and give other oil companies operating in Kurdistan an idea of the pricing level for locally consumed gas."  AFP adds, "But it has drawn the ire of Baghdad for making moves towards setting up an oil export pipeline, ferrying crude across the border to Turkey and signing contracts with foreign energy firms without the expressed consent of the federal oil ministry. The two sides are also locked in dispute over a swathe of territory in north Iraq."
    In the United States, President Barack Obama is locked in a battle with the American people.  He wants to attack Syria while the majority of Americans don't want an attack to take place.  ABC News Radio reports, " Barack Obama’s job approval rating flattened at an even 47-47 percent in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, his lowest in more than a year, with more than half of Americans disapproving of his handling of the situation with Syria."  The poll found opposition to missile strikes on Syria (six out of ten opposed strikes). Barack's not the only one suffering from the push for war on Syria.  US House Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz has a new image as a professional liar as a result of her claims while she tried to sell war on Syria.  Craig Kopp (WSUF -- link is audio and text) speaks with PolitiFact's Angie Holan about how Debbie earned her "Pants On Fire" rating for her recent lies.
    Debbie can't stop selling war.  But Deutsche Welle speaks with the Chair of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry for Syria Paulo Sergio Pinheiro who states:
     First, there is no military solution for the crisis. It is an illusion to think that the government or the rebel groups will be victorious. It is very important also to stop providing arms to all the parties. The best recipe for continuing this war is to carry on providing resources and delivering weapons to the different parties. We have said this very clearly. This is unacceptable, because most of these arms will be used to commit war crimes, to kill more Syrians, to create more refugees, more internally displaced people, and the only way to stop this is negotiation. It is also very important that the countries that are influential in the region and internationally build some mutual trust, that they follow the example of the Russian Federation and the United States. They seemed so far from each other but have now reached an agreement. This agreement demonstrated that it is possible to move towards a political solution.
    Barack's desired attack is not a political solution and as Ruth observed Monday:

    There are many questions we need to be asking.
    The most basic is how does bombing anyone make things peaceful? I am not a War Hawk but we can use logic to understand their point of view.  (And they could use logic to understand our point of view.) Using logic, we would argue a bomb campaign can help if it is followed up by troops on the ground.  You bomb to scare, to penalize, and you use troops on the ground to seize any opportunity bombing might result in.  I do not agree with that, but I do understand how someone could make that case. The case US President Barack Obama wants to make for bombing Syria is that it will be a 'precise' and 'surgical' strike, there will be no boots on the ground. Then, using logic, how does a strike help? I really do not get it.  Sorry. All you are doing is terrorizing a people.  And adding to the suffering of the Syrian people is no way to  provide them with assistance.
    Christopher Blakely (Policy Mic) tracks the US government's long involvement in Syria.
    The public by a 15-point margin is more apt to say Obama’s performance on Syria has weakened rather than strengthened U.S. global leadership, and six in 10 continue to oppose the missile strikes he urged. At the same time, the survey finds vast support, 79 percent, for the Russian-backed plan to junk Syria’s chemical weapons, even amid skepticism Syria will cooperate.  And Norman Solomon (normansolomon.com) notes the public opposition to providing arms to the so-called 'rebels':
    Top officials in Washington are happy that American “lethal aid” has begun to flow into Syria, and they act as though such arms shipments are unstoppable. In a similar way, just a few short weeks ago, they -- and the conventional wisdom -- insisted that U.S. missile strikes on Syria were imminent and inevitable.
    But public opinion, when activated, can screw up the best-laid plans of war-makers. And political conditions are now ripe for cutting off the flow of weaponry to Syria -- again giving new meaning to the adage that “when the people lead, the leaders will follow.”
    Contrary to what many assume, the latest polls show that a large majority of Americans are opposed to the U.S. government sending weapons to Syria. For instance, in a CNN/ORC survey taken September 6-8, a whopping 85 percent of people nationwide answered “not either side” when asked whether the United States “should take the side of the Syrian government, or take the side of the Syrian rebels, or not take either side.”