Comments on: Secular National Iraqi List of Allawi reported to have surged in Sunni Arab Provinces; Implications for Iran, US

By: il principe

il principe — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:09:36 +0000

Although none of the highly paid political pundits on the Sunday talk shows will say it or any editor from a national newspapers will write about it, the latest Parliamentary election in Iraq has proven yet again that the people of Iraq outclass their American counterparts in two important aspects; they are more civic minded and have less fear than most Americans. Supporting this argument is the fact that even though facing threats of murder and terrorism, 70 percent of eligible Iraqi citizens voted in a recent election in their country, while in America, the average voter turnout in American elections has never been over 60 percent in the last 30 years. For the international relations political analyst who tries to explain why the Iraqi’s participate more in elections than their American counterparts, the answer appears to be that both American voters and the politicians running for office in America are filled with fear and doubt, while Iraqi citizens and their politicians running for office appear to be filled with hope and courage.

http://pinione.blogspot.com/2010/03/concerning-power-of-congress-to.html

By: sherm

sherm — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:21:07 +0000

Link to the NYT Somalia article mentioned above.

I know its off topic but its just seems remarkable that, what is in reality a Pentagon designed and initiated intensification of a civil war in a broken down impoverished country, should be treated so casually by the press. And probably unknown to 99% of the US population.

Our air strikes and "special ops" will pick off whoever they please, blow up whatever they want, then leave behind all the misery and bloodshed of this little "designer" war we thought might be good for Somalians at this juncture.

By: Andy Scheidl

Andy Scheidl — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:58:22 +0000

Juan,

You were not mistaken in the terms of the Iraqi President's election. It still requires a two-thirds majority in the CoR. It is only if no candidate reaches the two-thirds bar in the first ballot that the two leading candidates compete in a second ballot and only then would a simple majority suffice to win. (Art 70)

I'm not sure where English European is drawing his conclusions from. The Wikipedia article is vague. I'm looking at the 144-article version of the 2005 constitution - which remains unamended as far as I'm aware.

Andy Scheidl

By: English European

English European — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:53:03 +0000

"but it will take a multi-party coaltion of 215 or so members of parliament to elect a president."

Not true, Mr Cole. The interim provisions of the constitution no longer apply – you can elect the President with a simple majority now. See link to en.wikipedia.org

By: Cervantes

Cervantes — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:28:33 +0000

The fundamental issue is what it has always been: you cannot have an electoral democracy without a democratic political culture, and that includes people's primary loyalty being to the concept of the nation state. So long as the idea of Iraq comes second in the minds of a substantial portion of the populace to some other idea — Kurdistan, religious sect, faction or tribe — elections won't settle matters and instability will always loom.

Unfortunately, there has not been enough effective leadership that has stood up for Iraq as a unifying idea.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:06:58 +0000

The only question that matter is whether we immediately and completely get out of Iraq, and Afghanistan as well. Of course, this will not be happening and we are even now planning for more war in Somalia. *

* http://www.democracynow.org/2010/3/8/headlines#3

March 8, 2010

U.S.-Backed Somali Troops Prepare Major Offensive
By Amy Goodman

In news from Africa, the New York Times reports the U.S. is helping the Somali government prepare a major offensive to take the capital of Mogadishu from Islamist militants. Over the past six months, Somalia has farmed out young men to Djibouti, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Sudan for military instruction and most are now back in the capital, waiting to fight. So far most of the U.S. military assistance to the Somali government has been focused on training but U.S. official told the Times he expects U.S. covert forces will get involved in the offensive. The official said: “What you’re likely to see is airstrikes and Special Ops moving in, hitting and getting out.

By: Peter Attwood

Peter Attwood — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:09:06 +0000

It's worth remembering that Iraq was independent from Britain as Cuba was from the US in the 1930s, or as East Germany and Czechoslovakia were independent form the Soviet Union in the 1950s.

The same independence Iraq would have under Allawi. I wonder how Americans would take to having the "asset" of a foreign intelligence service for President.

By: Tossing Pebbles in the Stream

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:49:17 +0000

I was surprised when the young Iraqi woman in Mosul who voted for the first time excited reported the Iraqya list did very well in her area as well as a couple of others. Your comments seem to validate her understanding link to livesstrong.blogspot.com
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I wonder if the diaspora would more likely vote for a secular option than a sectarian one?