Allawi wants new elections.

 
It is necessary, and achievable, to insist on full and proper implementation of the power-sharing agreement of 2010, with proper checks and balances to prevent abuse of power, and full formation of the government and its institutions on a nonsectarian basis. Malign regional influences must be counterbalanced. Failing these steps, new elections free from foreign meddling, and with a truly independent judiciary and election commission, may be the only way to rescue Iraq from the abyss.  Allawi

-------------------------------------------------------

My resolve to take a vacation did not last long.  Nevertheless I think this is so importants a statement by Ayad Allawi that I must make sure it is highlighted. 

There is all kinds of interesting news today in the Post.  TTG and I are vindicated by a story that affirms our belief over the months that the Qathafi government was a hollow shell.  and then there is another story concerning Israel's resignation to the impending admission of Palestine to the UN as a member state.  That will have a major impact as Israel becomes vulnerable to condemnation for "crimes" against a member state.  Sanctions will be a possibility as well as indictment of individuals at the ICC. 

Allawi wants implementation of last years power sharing agreement in Baghdad.  Good luck to him!  Maliki holds most of the cards and will never give "consensus" candidates the Defense and Interior (police) ministries.     ALL WE DID IN IRAQ IS SUBSTITUTE ONE SECTARIAN TYRANNY FOR ANOTHER. pl

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-the-us-and-the-world-can-help-iraq/2011/08/30/gIQAIPZxsJ_story.html

Comments

[Matthew]

Listen to Allawi chirp about "checks and balances" is like listening to Herman Cain talk about religious tolerance.

Allawi is the worst Iraqi. God save those poor people from that monster.

[Patrick Lang]

matthew

Allawi is the worst Iraqi? you have led a sheltered life. pl

[Matthew]

Very sheltered, sir. Very sheltered.

BTW, if you are going to take a vacation, you need to have the decency to lead a tour of your faithful readers around WBS battlefields in the Old Dominion.

[Patrick Lang]

matthew

Let's take a survey of FRs. who would like which battlefield? I am going to post a "prequel" to STT over at the Athenaeum. I will leave it up for a bit. pl

[LeaNder]

"there is another story concerning Israel's resignation to the impending admission of Palestine to the UN as a member state."

I really want them to succeed.

Akiva Eldar in Haaretz:
http://tiny.cc/tzgo6

New Palestinian strategy document will make it difficult for U.S. to oppose UN vote
More than 50 Palestinian officials, researchers and advisers have crafted a strategy for both before and after the UN vote.

[mac]

ALL WE DID IN IRAQ IS SUBSTITUTE ONE SECTARIAN TYRANNY FOR ANOTHER. pl

agreed.

now...its 6.24AM here and I'm just starting on my coffee so forgive the petulance, but what I want to know is, why?

why DID we SUBSTITUTE ONE SECTARIAN TYRANNY FOR ANOTHER?

mac

[Matthew]

My choice: Jackson's campaign in the the Shenandoah.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Col. Lang:

Would it be possible, in your opinion, to put in place a (de facto?) confessional system of representative government in Syria and in Iraq? Similar to Lebanon's; so that every one gets something.

[Fred]

"More than eight years after Saddam Hussein’s regime was overthrown, basic services are in a woeful state….Iraq’s economy has become an ever more dysfunctional mix of cronyism and mismanagement, with high unemployment and endemic corruption. Transparency International ranks Iraq the world’s fourth-most-corrupt country …" "But losing Iraq in 2011 is a choice that the United States and the rest of the world cannot afford to make"

So all that needs to happen is for the American people to stop spending American tax dollars on Americans, send it to Iraq, where Ayad Allawi promises to be less corrupt than Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Normally you need to pay for political adds. I wonder what the WAPO is getting for this fluff piece?

Iraqi's need to settle their civil war, Iraq doesn't deserve another dime of my money or another drop of blood from one of our soldiers. If our 'coalition of the willing' allies want to send troops to help out they should feel free.

As to battlefield tours how about Chancellorsville? After reading about Mullen's comments at Petraeus' retirement maybe Balls Bluff would be a better choice?

"...Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, “You now stand among the giants — not just in our time, but of all time, joining the likes of Grant, Pershing, Marshall and Eisenhower as one of the great battle captains of American history.”"

Petreaus is no Marshall or Eisenhower and the 'insurgents' in Afghanistan and Iraq were not the armies of the Kaiser, Emperor or Fuhrer.

[Patrick Lang]

babak

Yes, I think so. pl

[Patrick Lang]

Matthew

It takes days to do adequately. pl

[Patrick Lang]

mac

A combination of a desire to protect Israel from the Sunni "menace"and Jacobin neoconism. pl

[William RAISER]

"...there is another story concerning Israel's resignation to the impending admission of Palestine to the UN as a member state. That will have a major impact as Israel becomes vulnerable to condemnation for "crimes" against a member state."

While it is clear that all but a VERY few countries will support admission of Palestine to the General Assembly. However, if I understand correctly, this will not happen until and unless the Security Council also gives a final vote of approval, which the US is likely to veto. The US and Israel are going to look VERY strange at this point.

[Patrick Lang]

William Raiser

Harper tells me that the GA can override the SC in this. pl

[Matthew]

We need to have a real discussion on UN reform. Besides the obvious (merging Britain/France's seat into an "EU" seat), adding India, possibly Brazil, how about we "reform" the veto. I propose that absent the member state being the subject of the veto, it would take two member state vetoes to kill a resolution. In that way, America could never be subject to UN sannctions, but neither could we continue to unilaterally protect our nefarious satellite. If you think about it, it would save us from ourselves.

[Fred]

Matthew

Why would Britain or France give up the power the veto gives them? Why should member states like Palau or Tuvalu have the same powers within the GA as China, Brazil or the US? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations#Legal_basis_of_establishment

[Matthew]

Fred: Well, Palau already has a vote in the General Assemby, but they are not Permanent Security Council members. We are. Since Palau would never have a veto, I don't think they enjoy the same privileges as the US.

As to Britain and France, if they don't cede their no-longer-justified special status, then the UN will collapse anyway. The rising powers are not going to allow the post-WWII power arrangement to continue indefinitely.

Please note that the US will always have special status. If the US--and not Israel--is the subject of UN action--we could still veto that action.

[Ken Hoop]

"A combination of a desire to protect Israel from the Sunni "menace"and Jacobin neoconism. pl

Posted by: Patrick Lang | 01 September 2011 at 11:53 AM

isn't Jacobin neoconism synonomous with a desire to protect the right of American Jews to exercise dual loyalty in a politically decisive way which protects Israel from Sunni and all other "menaces" even,especially, from the "menace" of a non-Israeli-owned, that is, organic conservativism which prioritizes American interests, such as that of Pat Buchanan?

[Charlie Wilson]

Can the GA chuck the US out of the UN? I mean they could still meet in NY and have free parking and not pay tax and all that. They then wouldn't have to listen to that harridan Rice.

[Pirouz]

Well at least this time it reflects the sectarian majority.

[Jane]

Allowing a minority to rule a majority produces Syria. The hope is that knowing they are the minority will induce them to rule wisely.

Allowing a majority to rule a minority tyrannically produces many and varied forms of pogroms.

[Fred]

Matthew,

The point about Palau was just that vote in the GA; How many votes in the GA does it take to get something overridden? See PL response to William Raiser's question above.

"The rising powers are not going to allow the post-WWII power arrangement to continue indefinitely.
Please note that the US will always have special status."

Why will the the 'rising powers' give the US a permanent special status?

[William RAISER]

Pat,

I don't know how to get a definitive reading on the UN procedure for new members.

One source I read recently said the Security Council would make a majority vote recommendation to the General Assembly, with no veto power for the permanent members. The General Assembly would then vote. If passed by a 2/3 vote of the General Assembly, which is almost a sure thing for Palestine, the Security Council would have a final vote, which could be vetoed by a permanent member.

I read the following on the UN Web site: "The Security Council considers the application. Any recommendation for admission must receive the affirmative votes of 9 of the 15 members of the Council, provided that none of its five permanent members — China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America — have voted against the application."

Looks like the US will have veto power over Palestinian membership but would have to do so over the overwhelming positive vote of the General Assembly.

[Rd.]

A combination of a desire to protect Israel from the Sunni "menace"and Jacobin neoconism. Pl

Plus, a wishful desire to bring a shia “democracy” (US style) in IRaq to influence/impact the shia in Iran?

[mbrenner]

I suggest taking a look at today's essay by Uri Avnery explaining the Netanyahu government's plans for dealing with the Palestinian declaration of independence - and appraising the dire consequences. Either go directly to his news site = http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:wZKGMDT76gUJ:www.avnerynews.co.il/+uri+avnery&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

or its publication at Counterpunch,com