September 10, 2014, US President Barack Obama declared, "We’ll also support Iraq’s efforts to stand up National Guard Units to help Sunni communities secure their own freedom from ISIL’s control."
He'd actually begun backing the proposal months before.
And this was actually supposed to be a 'conditional' -- US support was supposed to require that this be passed.
Over a year after Barack began bombing Iraq -- to help Iraq, you understand -- there is still no law.
Alsumaria notes Parliament was supposed to hold a session on the National Guard proposal today but it's now been postponed until at least Wednesday.
Objections are also coming from Iraqiya. Al Mada reports that the political bloc's spokesperson Maysoon al-Damalouji declared today that the bloc remains bothered by the lack of clarity regarding who would be in charge of the National Guard -- the provinces, smaller local units, etc. The bloc Ayad Allawi leads believes that the National Guard should be placed under the control of the prime minister and does not appear willing to support it until that is made clear.
If Barack had insisted that US efforts work towards a political solution, maybe the struggle over the bill wouldn't be continuing over a year later?
June 19, 2014, it was Barack who insisted publicly that the only solution to Iraq's multitude of crises was a political solution.
But it was the same Barack who directed all efforts -- Defense and State -- towards war -- finding other countries to join in the bombing campaign.
There is no solution in Iraq today mainly because Barack doesn't want one.
He's more than ready to kick the can and let the next president deal with his mess.
Someone needs to tell him to get off his ass and do something.
Doubt it?
اعلام الربيع العراقي
ميليشيا ما يسمى "حزب الله" في العراق تتحدث عن امكانياتها القادرة على خطف السفير الأمريكي وليس العمال الاتراك فقط
As I interpret the speech, what's being floated is the kidnapping of the US Ambassador to Iraq.
A political solution could have allowed Iraq to focus on needed fixes.
Instead, the focus has been on creating more and more violence.
The Iraqi government and the US government have repeatedly failed the Iraqi people.
In Basra, Kitabat notes, activists are staging a sit-in. They state they have realized that only they can force the needed changes by demanding them. The security forces are insisting that they have the right to remove the tents and the protesters because Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says that such actions cannot be carried out -- despite the Constitution stating otherwise.
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