Is the US Still Tinkering with the Iraqi Constitution?
A closer observer of the Iraq scene writes in outrage:
Filed at 9:43 a.m. ETBAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — The U.S. ambassador suggested Tuesday there may be further changes to the draft constitution to win Sunni Arab approval, saying he believed a final edited draft had not been presented.
‘ For God’s and our sake, please someone tell them (and yell, if necessary) to leave it alone for now.
The President, for God’s sake, blessed the process to the world and it is over, there being nothing in the TAL, any other law or in common political or jurisprudential sense, which justifies or even remotely supports reopening the document, which, anyway, may already be printed in 5-6 million copies.
They could be on the way to screwing this all up (again), and this time around it WOULD BE VERY CONSEQUENTIAL, if they do. It is they who did not postpone the elections, held under not “free and fair” conditions in parts of several Provinces. It is they who said that The Schedule must be maintained at all costs. So STICK TO YOUR BLOODY SCHEDULE NOW.
What, if anything, is he thinking?
They panicked in the White House in November 2003 and produced the “Agreement on Political Process,” which included the non-starter caucuses and was not an agreement, and the faux sovereignty, which is causing so much of the trouble. They seem to be panicking again. Leaders of “world’s only super-powers” do not panic for all the world to see.
This could now be beyond even nuts. ‘
COLE: There are indeed rumors flying around of continued changes in the draft of the constitution. All sorts of key issues, from Iraq’s Arab identity to human rights are still in flux. Major politicians have left or are leaving the country, which means any tinkering is being done in their absence!
It is the damnedest thing.
Al-Watan (Riyadh) [Arabic link] reports that one Sunni member of the parliamentary drafting committee told it that Washington at one point promised $5 million apiece to tthe Sunnis on the committee if they would sign off on the constitution.
Sy Hersh has also alleged bribery.
It is certainly the case that a lot of money is being spread around for cooperativeness. I was told that one high Iraqi official received one million dollars a month for serving in the interim government of Iyad Allawi, and recently went on a shopping spree at Harrod’s in London where he spent $1 million on gifts for his second wife. [We guys object to this sort of thing on two grounds. First, it gives the impression of corruption or at the least overly high living on the part of a public servant. Second, the expectations of wives just shouldn’t be raised this way, especially those of second wives.] This politician supports the constitution.