Archives for February 2004

Bremer Pledges to Block Islamic Law Paul Bremer appointed Muhsin Abdul Hamid, the leader of the Iraqi Islamic Party (i.e. the Muslim Brotherhood) to serve on the Interim Governing Council. One could argue about whether this appointment was wise, but it is ironic that Bremer is now having to overrule his own appointee. Abdul Hamid […]

Brahimi Warns Iraqis of Civil War UN envoy to Iraq Lakhdar Brahimi knows whereof he speaks when it comes to civil war. He is Algerian, and watched his own country descend into a downward spiral of violence between secularists and Islamists in the 1990s. He has been intimately involved in diplomacy in Lebanon, helping end […]

Interim Governing Council Rethinks its Shape It seems increasingly likely that the national elections in Iraq scheduled for May 2004 will be pushed to December, but that the delay will not affect the handover of sovereignty to an Iraqi government by the US. The US will surrender sovereignty to an expanded Interim Governing Council, which […]

Controversy over Whodunit in Fallujah The Scotsman has a balanced article on speculation concerning the identity of the attackers in Fallujah on Saturday. It notes that Iraqi police and Paul Bremer have tried to blame outsiders, but US military spokesmen say they doubt it was outsiders. They say that ‘Such a complex undertaking involving separate […]

Shiites have Alternative Plans AFP reports that the Shiites say they have alternative plans for elections if direct elections are declared impossible by the United Nations. They say they will not reveal them at the moment. Some Shiites warned of violence if the community is too deeply disappointed by the UN or US way of […]

The Dangers of Economic Shock Therapy in Iraq Nobel Laureate, economist Joseph Stiglitz, sagely warns against Bush administration plans for economic “shock therapy” (rapid and radical liberalization and privatization) in Iraq. He points out that successful transition to democracy has often been actively hindrered by such an approach. Proponents of shock therabpy in the Coalition […]

Zarqawi Letter and Fear of Democracy Matthew Yglesias asks at his thoughtful blog: “Something a bit curious in the (purported) Zarqawi letter: [I]f we fight them [Sunni Arab policemen working for the new Iraqi government, I think, the context isn’t 100% clear to me], that will be difficult because there will be a schism between […]

Fallujah: Phase II, Guerrilla War? Reuters reports on the impressive coordinated tactical strike by guerrillas at Fallujah on Saturday. Some forty masked, armed men were involved, and the attack was brazenly launched in broad daylight. Late reports put the number of dead at at least 27, with dozens wounded. The London daily al-Hayat reports that […]

Arab, Kurdish Chieftains Visit Sistani Jalal Talabani, the Kurdish leader, met with Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani on Saturday, and emerged to say he was confident that the Coalition Provisional Authority would turn over sovereignty to an Iraqi government by July 1. Speaking of Sistani, I received by email a fascinating account by a participant of […]