tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44791341439315595052024-03-12T16:55:42.730-07:00The Iraqi FutureAli Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-44379477438677087502013-06-13T14:57:00.000-07:002013-06-13T15:01:10.495-07:00How the Syrian Conflict Has Intensified Regional Sectarian Rifts<!--StartFragment-->
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">By Ali Rawaf</span><br />
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">“How could 100 million Shiites [worldwide] defeat 1.7 billion
[Sunnis]? Only because [Sunni] Muslims are weak.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/3IUK0K3w1go?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">These were the words of Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, a prominent Egyptian Sunni cleric,
in a recent TV interview during which he encouraged his followers to carry arms
and join the fight in Syria. He was later praised for his stance by Saudi
Arabia’s Grand Mufti, the most senior religious authority in the country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Al-Qardawi’s statements followed a televised speech last month
by the Shiite leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah where he vowed victory in
Syria, </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">"Syria is the back of the resistance, and the resistance
cannot stand, arms folded while its back is broken." He told his adversaries
to fight his men in Syria, not in Lebanon, Hezbolla’s home . But that’s too
late. The violence had already spilled into Lebanon, where gun battles frequently
rage between Shiites and Sunnis.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Lebanon is not the only neighbor being impacted by the Syrian
conflict. Tensions between Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq are at the highest levels
since 2007. May was the bloodiest month since June of 2008 with over a thousand
people killed. The violence continues to escalate as Sunnis continue their
protests against the Shiite-dominated government. They accuse the government of
succumbing to Iranian influence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">The Iraqi PM has charged the protests as being waged by Saudi
Arabia and Qatar in their bid to contain Iran’s growing influence in the
region. He also accuses them of funding Sunni rebels in Syria in their fight
against Assad’s regime. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Qatar does not hide its concerns about Iran’s growing influence
in the region. The Qatari government has declared Hezbollah as a terrorist
group and has been leading an effort at the Gulf Cooperation Council to have its
Sunni member states take a similar action. The country is also home to
Al-Qardawi whose recent calls for Sunnis to fight Shiites further strained
relationship between the Qatari and Iraqi governments. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Iraqi Shiite men have gone to Syria to fight along side Assad’s
army and Hezbollah. It will be a matter of time before more Sunnis act on the
words of Al-Qaradawi. It has become clear that the fight to win Syria is no
longer a local one. It is regional. It is sectarian. And the sect that wins in
Syria will win the region. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-59418717632623847092012-09-07T09:27:00.000-07:002012-12-06T11:09:34.726-08:00With Less Involvement in Iraq, US Interests and Iraq’s Future in Jeopardy<br />
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By Ali Rawaf</div>
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Writing about Iraqi politics has become more frustrating
than starting a fire by rubbing two sticks. There are hardly any positive
political developments and our politicians are stuck in debating issues that
bear no substance or benefit to the people.</div>
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To remind you, as soon as the last US soldier stepped
outside the Iraqi borders, things have been going downhill. Today, Maliki's Iraq almost seems as far from democracy as it was
under Saddam Hussein. The PM is on a journey to court as much power into his
hands as possible. The opposition forces continue to lose ground. And the Iraqi
people continue to suffer from poor quality of life. </div>
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Soon after the US left, Maliki moved to prosecute his VP for
alleged terrorist activities, a move that reignited sectarian tensions and as
he is being tried in absentia, Iraqis are reminded of the sectarian violence
that they thought was winding down. </div>
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Last week, the Minister of Communication resigned after
growing interference from the Prime Minister in moving ministry officials
around with no regards to the minister, who is a member of the same political
entity of the VP. Anonymous sources say that three top leaders from the same
political party have given their support to Maliki, after his perpetual threats
of ousting them from their positions. </div>
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Maliki is also in a major political battle with the Kurds.
As Iraq’s oil revenue grows so does the fight between Baghdad and the Kurdish
federal region over oil contracts that are being granted to foreign companies
by the regional government. Maliki’s office says that the central government is
the only one that is authorized to grant such contracts. As a result, foreign
companies are growing more hesitant to do business with Iraq and the Kurds
renewed their calls for secession. </div>
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The growing frustrations with Maliki’s politics lead to a
meeting between the major political parties in parliament. They agreed to
question Maliki within the constitutional power the parliament. A day before
Maliki was going to be summoned, a military unit under his command lifted the
belt of concrete blocks that fortify parliament against bomb attacks, a move
that was seen as a threat. </div>
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The PM also threatened the parties that if he was going to
be questioned, he would divulge embarrassing secrets about those who question
him. As a result, the efforts to oust him or question him withered. </div>
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Iraqi politicians claim that Maliki seems emboldened by the
US lack of interest in Iraqi affairs and an expanding Iranian support. That lack
of involvement from the US and the West will not only cost Iraqis, it will cost
the US interests in the region. </div>
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Iraq so far has helped lessen the effects of the US
sanctions against Iran by letting local banks handle Iranian trade transactions
and Iraq is also helping Iran send military supplies support the Syrian regime
through Iraqi airspace. </div>
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Despite calls from Iraqi parties, regional and foreign
countries, and US VP Joe Biden to halt both activities, Maliki remains defiant and
those activities still go on. </div>
Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-82156710530262421982012-04-13T10:01:00.001-07:002012-04-13T10:01:42.513-07:00Arrest Warrant Issued for Iraqi Electoral Commission Head<br />
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By Ali Rawaf</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1b3tZi5YVvx2D-51gq1YSUmv3iN72LgTazYMxO_NVU0qbnb2ABMSVckoB3o7NekOEOyefqpixc-7IvoNTfqU-FYJOikUBHJ_RujOthFaf0kz0ma0La8O9PCD1H2Gs6UxKfUXiZd1L3Qs/s1600/images1111111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1b3tZi5YVvx2D-51gq1YSUmv3iN72LgTazYMxO_NVU0qbnb2ABMSVckoB3o7NekOEOyefqpixc-7IvoNTfqU-FYJOikUBHJ_RujOthFaf0kz0ma0La8O9PCD1H2Gs6UxKfUXiZd1L3Qs/s320/images1111111.jpg" width="320" /></a>An Iraqi court issued a warrant for the arrest of the
president of the Iraqi High Electoral Commission, Faraj Al-Haidary for alleged
bonuses that were awarded to some of the Commission personnel. The warrant
states that he will be in custody for a 3 day-investigation. </div>
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Ever since the March 2010 election results were announced,
declaring Maliki’s rival political bloc the winner, the PM and his partly
started a campaign against the Electoral Commission, claiming that his
president and staff collaborated with winning bloc. </div>
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Soon after securing a second
term, Maliki sought an order from the High Court to enlist the Electoral
Commission and other independent bodies under the authority of the PM’s office.
The move infuriated several political parties and later, even though the Court
ruled in the Maliki’s favor, it later clarified that no entity has authority
over the independent bodies such as the Central Bank and the Electoral
Commission. The Court clarification came
after there was an outrage by Parliament and the heads of political parties
over what was clearly a violation of a constitutional article. </div>
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Two months later, the PM’s party
in Parliament, State of Law called for the investigation of the president of
the Electoral Commission and his Deputy over fraud allegations. The rest of the
parliament saw how politicized the questioning was by the State of Law members
and called to end the investigation. A couple of months later, the State of Law
bloc returned and called for the disbanding of the current Electoral Commission
and replace it with new staff. </div>
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This move along with a series of
actions taken by the PM and his party are alarming. After the US withdrawal
from Iraq, the PM got the High Court to issue an arrest warrant against the Sunni
Vice President, Tareq Al-Hashimi and asked parliament to vote his Sunni Deputy,
Salih Al-Mutlaq out of his post. While the effort to oust the latter failed,
the former is currently called a fugitive VP in the news and his office staff
and body guards are under arrest. Recently, the VP said three of his body
guards died in prison because of torture. The moves have been regarded as
reasons for the new escalation in sectarian tensions and violence in Iraq.</div>
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I regard them as a serious threat to our fragile
and diminishing democracy. </div>Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-33085405634803068502012-03-21T09:17:00.002-07:002012-03-21T09:19:55.713-07:00Kurdish, Sunni Frustration Could End Iraq Government CoalitionBy Ali Rawaf<br />
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<b>Kurdish President Threatens to End Coalition</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLeLix02pV2_nPzK3ZaL2bjjArd2-22u8eA20_V3ixen-p4krqqRsLytiYRvG7lx5ujuGK0QoukqrszEz-IocOhCQpoH6t8NXfTtbRysBdZ2dfESDr7tHMdzdomJj310RSIMN67H619KY/s1600/barazani+maliki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLeLix02pV2_nPzK3ZaL2bjjArd2-22u8eA20_V3ixen-p4krqqRsLytiYRvG7lx5ujuGK0QoukqrszEz-IocOhCQpoH6t8NXfTtbRysBdZ2dfESDr7tHMdzdomJj310RSIMN67H619KY/s320/barazani+maliki.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki (Left) and Kurdish Regional President<br />Masood Barazani (Right)</b></span></td></tr>
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Masood Barazani, the president of Iraq's Kurdish region gave harsh criticism of the Shiite Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, calling his party a "a small group that is hoarding all aspects of power while practicing ideological terrorism against those who criticize it."</div>
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The Kurds have been in a political conflict with Baghdad over several issues. On top of the issue is Baghdad's stubbornness to not let any oil companies enter into any contracts with the Kurdish government. Most recently, the central government threatened to exclude Exonn Mobil from future auction if the company signs any contracts directly with the Kurdish government. While the central government announced that Exon froze the contract with the Kurds, the Energy Committee in the Kurdish Parliament announced the contracts were actually still intact. </div>
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The Kurdish regional president has also been critical of the way Baghdad has handled the case of Tareq al-Hashimi, Iraq's VP who is supposed to undergo a trial for alleged terrorism acts he oversaw. The VP's hiding has escalated the conflict between the PM Maliki and the Kurds, who view the trial as another way of intimidation to Maliki's rivals. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvvUybftkMzTzWc2pIg9XqNT32YJzNw22ZLLGQdR8euyBMW0AxuibLxkFW2cG2R3714QZuprN89p_xXNLOaJdFXMSGXmI9qLjlU4Z2Y7Cp76NdsLUM1VIGNN6UHJJgGaQatb2muhGQtY/s1600/mutlaq,+hashimi,+allaw+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvvUybftkMzTzWc2pIg9XqNT32YJzNw22ZLLGQdR8euyBMW0AxuibLxkFW2cG2R3714QZuprN89p_xXNLOaJdFXMSGXmI9qLjlU4Z2Y7Cp76NdsLUM1VIGNN6UHJJgGaQatb2muhGQtY/s320/mutlaq,+hashimi,+allaw+.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ayad Allawi (Head of the secular al-Iraqyia group), VP Tareq al-Hashimi,<br />and Salih al-Mutlaq (Deputy to the Prime Minister)</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Iraqi Sunnis</b></div>
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Iraq's Sunni's have also been outraged at the authoritarian practices of Maliki's government. At the same time the US troops completed its withdrawal from the country, al-Maliki ordered the arrest of as many as 800 Sunnis ex-Baathist from Sunni provinces, accusing them of conspiring with al-Qaeda to overthrow the government. </div>
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The PM went after his Sunni deputy, Salih al-Mutlaq, for publicly criticizing him. Maliki asked Parliament to vote him out of office but most of the parties in Parliament rejected the measure. </div>
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The Sunni have become very dissatisfied wit the government and a few provinces have asked to form a federal state similar to the Kurdish model. The PM said it wasn't constitutional and went after the provincial councils who made the request and threatened them with legal consequences. When it turned out that the constitution required a vote of two-thirds of the provincial council or a vote of ten percent of the regional population to make a federation, Maliki said it wasn't the right time. </div>
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Al-Iraqyia, the political entity of which both al-Hashimi and Mutlak are members, asked Maliki to step down from his post and let someone else take over. Al-Iraqyia has also been threatening to bring up internal political disputes during the Arab League meeting, which is set to take place in Baghdad at the end of March. </div>
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<b>Maliki Hoarding Power</b></div>
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Many of the decision recently made by the office of the prime minister have been alarming. After the government formation deal was cut, Maliki sent the Iraq's High Court to place under his control many independent entities such as the Electoral Commission, the Integrity Commission, and the Central bank. </div>
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Maliki is also emphasizing on his role as the commander in chief of the armed forces, a role that is only ceremonial according to the constitution. His government has been known for establishing the Baghdad Force, a special unit that is trained by the Americans, which reports to Maliki him self. He has maintained both ministries of defense and interior under his control as acting minister, even though the government was formed long time ago. </div>
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The PM recently announced that he is in a good position to be elected again, breaking a promise he made last election that he would push for term limits and that he wouldn't run for office again. </div>
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<b>'Discontent and Division'</b></div>
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According to a recent Gallup poll that measures a country's 'wellbeing', suffering in Iraq is the highest since 2008(before the end of the sectarian fight). The percentage of 'suffering' Iraqis is among the highest in the Middle East while the percentage of those 'thriving' is among the lowest.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomWUA90HeE3_cyXDWDZSqcuxRt_8X7b2wgWF53puE1nHxfXr7ZemsGe3CT69wPUKKELfxG3P_4ydu5RUheTeVpuDPqr1EOiY6ykj-UkzzJgxnNnVWH_gyscIFqkYDpb0xgLR0eT573l8/s1600/suffering.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomWUA90HeE3_cyXDWDZSqcuxRt_8X7b2wgWF53puE1nHxfXr7ZemsGe3CT69wPUKKELfxG3P_4ydu5RUheTeVpuDPqr1EOiY6ykj-UkzzJgxnNnVWH_gyscIFqkYDpb0xgLR0eT573l8/s400/suffering.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The percentage of those satisfied with the living standards dropped to 32% in 2011, down from 50% in 2010. Joblessness and lack of security have also contributed to the rise negative emotions among Iraqis, particularly anger and sadness.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivs-pyf8RcB83za5QYnW2KPh4WwtfPG5eVcItlJpmvww1BghAZYE7Xe873hMB1r0WwIWSF9xrXlkePsJs-eN8XKYyJinER2V3nI4Up6g55bwXsMeZjP_sJNwZiR953keeW5rx77hWQEg/s1600/satisfaction_x8g+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivs-pyf8RcB83za5QYnW2KPh4WwtfPG5eVcItlJpmvww1BghAZYE7Xe873hMB1r0WwIWSF9xrXlkePsJs-eN8XKYyJinER2V3nI4Up6g55bwXsMeZjP_sJNwZiR953keeW5rx77hWQEg/s400/satisfaction_x8g+(1).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Looking Ahead</b></div>
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Iraq's fragile government coalition could be coming to an end. The Sunnis have been dissatisfied for a long time but they don't have a parliamentary majority to vote down the government and try to form their own. They need to have the Kurdish support and a couple of Shiite parties on board to actually form a different coalition. Shiite groups like al-Sadr's political wing (Which holds 40 seats in parliament) and Badr have been in disagreement with Maliki's Dawa party over several issues. While it is unclear whether this type of political frustration could vote Maliki out of the prime minister office or call for new elections, they are good signs that there is some sort of opposition to check on the expanding powers of the PM. </div>
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<br /></div>Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-69577830990322600322012-02-13T09:43:00.000-08:002012-02-13T09:43:46.966-08:00Can Iraq Abolish the Death Penalty?<br />
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<span style="background-color: black;">Note: This piece was originally published on the <a href="http://www.dartsocietyreports.org/cms/"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Dart Society Reports</span></a>. To see the piece on the Dart Society Reports, <a href="http://www.dartsocietyreports.org/cms/2012/01/can-iraq-abolish-the-death-penalty/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">click here</span></a><span style="color: white;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;">A commentary by Ali Rawaf</span>
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In Iraq, it’s difficult to find someone who doesn’t have a ma’doom, a family member who was executed by the government. It is so common that Iraqis routinely mention it to qualify for government jobs, a pay raise, or a political post.</div>
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Saddam Hussein’s regime was condemned by international human rights organizations for excessive use of the death penalty, mostly carried out against political opponents and those who participated in the uprising in 1991. For decades, detainees were sentenced to death despite having no access to attorneys or any chance to appeal their sentences. Confessions were mostly extracted by torture, without any adequate investigation.</div>
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Citing such practices, human rights groups urged the United States to enact a moratorium on the death penalty after the invasion in early 2003. Two months after entering Baghdad, the Coalition Provisional Authority put the moratorium in place.</div>
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The moratorium was suspended in 2004, when the Iraqi interim government reinstated the death penalty for those under the age of 70. The government claimed it was a viable deterrent, in a time when terrorist attacks were on the rise and many Iraqis were still seeking punishment of Saddam Hussein and the men in his regime for their crimes against humanity.</div>
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Once the moratorium was lifted, things moved swiftly. In 2005, Parliament passed a terrorism law approving the death sentence not only for those who commit terrorist acts, but also for those who finance, provoke, plan, or enable such acts. Furthermore, the terrorism law offered amnesty and anonymity to al-mukhbir al-sirri, secret informers who report alleged terrorist activities. Those reports contributed to the detention of thousands of Iraqis. This has created a weak judicial process, where many Iraqis are detained and sentenced to death shortly after getting arrested.</div>
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By 2007, the number of executions has skyrocketed, making Iraq among the top five countries in the world for executions. In 2011 alone, at least 279 people received the death sentence and another 1,300 were on death row, according to Amnesty International.</div>
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Iraq’s government has also received criticism for televising many confessions of those who committed acts of terrorism, which it has been doing. They are heavily advertised to the public and are regularly broadcast on the state-funded TV channel. While the government says these confessions are meant to provide a sense of security and justice, it’s difficult to find out under what conditions those confessions were given. Critics say televising them highly undermines the rule of law and the right to a fair trial.</div>
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Detainees are sometimes tortured and forced to confess crimes or terrorist acts during pre-trial interrogations, confessions they later denounce in court. In the period surrounding a televised confession, key political figures, including members of Parliament or the cabinet, often make public statements that can influence the sentences handed to those detainees. In June 2011, the state broadcast confessions by members of an armed group who admitted to murdering a whole wedding party after raping several women and the bride. Members of the armed group received death sentences within a week of the televised confessions, an insufficient time for adequate investigation, proper legal representation or an appeal.</div>
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More recently, the same TV channel showed footage of confessions by bodyguards of the current vice president, Tariq al-Hashimi. They admitted to assassinating government officials and committing several other terrorist acts on his behalf. These crimes can be punishable by death sentence under the terrorism law. Only after televising the confessions did the Central Criminal Court issue an arrest warrant for the vice president.</div>
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Critics of Iraq’s Shiite Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki say this is an example of his abuse of the justice system, which he uses to bring down political opponents. Al-Maliki and his bloc have announced that they are looking to put al-Hashimi through a trial similar to Saddam Hussein’s.</div>
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“We provided a fair and clean trial to Saddam, the dictator of Iraq, and we will ensure and be determined to provide a fair trial to Mr. Tariq al-Hashimi,” Al-Maliki <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/world/iraqi-pm-threatens-to-drop-sunni-bloc-for-shiite-rule-20111222-1p75t.html#ixzz1jjIpsH5c" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">said</a> at a news conference.</div>
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Such statements politicize the judicial process and diminish its transparency. Since the arrest warrant was issued, al-Hashimi has fled to northern Iraq, the home province of the Iraqi president who has offered al-Hashimi temporary protection.</div>
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The increasing pressure by the international community and watch groups on Iraq to abolish the death penalty might finally be working. Last October, members of the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee said they had been discussing new legislation that would abolish the death penalty. Some parliament members, citing security concerns, immediately criticized the initiative.</div>
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Yet with a complete U.S. troop withdrawal at the end of last year, and a diminishing political engagement, it will be extremely tough to see those talks about ending the death penalty turn into an actual legislation.</div>
<br />Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-9931019791838162052011-11-18T18:19:00.001-08:002011-11-18T23:45:40.153-08:00Who Won the Iraq War?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">"The visit aims to develop bilateral relations, as Iran and Iraq are two friendly countries and neighbours, who must have very close relations," </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The Iraqi armed forces chief of staff, General Babak Zebari, made the remarks during a meeting with General Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards' ground forces in Tehran earlier this week.<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iPbfktI2quesIQ3vxuji3AlDBU-Q?docId=CNG.fe96daf39c6a6b66ddfc448f1097b5ff.131"> -AFP</a></span></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #444444;">**This article was originally published at Good Bye and Good Luck, a newsletter at the Dept. of Government at the University of Texas. <a href="http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/government/_files/pdf/newsletter/Goodbye_Good_Luck_November_2011.pdf">Click here to find original link.</a></span><br />
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By Ali Rawaf<br />
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Last month, President Obama announced the end of the Iraq war, saying the last few thousand troops would withdraw by Dec. 2. While polls show a majority of Americans support the president’s decision, Iraqis have become significantly concerned over increased meddling from Iran. The State Department has warned Iran against interfering in Iraqi internal affairs after the troops leave and also told the Iraqis that Iran will not be a problem in the future. The truth is that U.S. officials underestimate Iranian influence and control in Iraq and the region.<br />
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Iraq’s Prime Minister, Nuri Al-Maliki, who didn’t win the last elections, was able to form a government only because Iran, a Shiite state, pressured the Shiite groups in the country to rally around him and give him the vote of confidence. Al-Maliki, a divisive figure even amongst the Shiites, has been returning the favor to Iran ever since. He has sent the Iraqi army to crack down on Mujahidee Khalk, an Iranian opposition group that has been based in Iraq for a couple of decades. Despite calls from international human rights groups to halt the attacks on the group’s camp, Al-Maliki still periodically sends Iraqi troops to intimidate them. He has vowed to remove the group from the country at the end of the year.<br />
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Iranian influence goes well beyond Iraq. In Syria, Iran has been transferring weapons to the Assad regime and abetting Assad’s crackdown on protestors opposing the regime. Last month, California-based BlueCoat said that internet surveillance devices which were sold to the Iraqi government were later found to be used by the Syrian regime to crack down on protestors. How did that happen? The Iranian regime bought those devices for Syria under the name of the Iraqi Communications Ministry.<br />
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Al-Maliki is also returning a favor to Iran by keeping quiet about the developments in Syria. As the Syrian regime employed the army to crack down on its people, Al-Maliki hosted a group of Syrian officials and entrepreneurs to strengthen economic ties with the Syrian regime. And recently, Al-Maliki’s foreign minister said Baghdad is committed to preventing any action against Iran.<br />
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In the Palestinian territories, Iran funds Hamas, the militant group blocking Palestinian-Israeli peace, and Hezbolla, the anti-western, militant Shiite group in Lebanon. In Yemen, Iran funds extremist, militant Shiite groups.<br />
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If Iran is this influential without nuclear weapons, I can only imagine what happens when Tehran acquires such weapons.<br />
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If the U.S. follows through with a complete troop withdrawal, Iran would be the sole winner of the Iraq war. The war would have only cleared the way for Iran to exert more influence in the region. After the president’s announcement of a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, an Iranian delegation visited Iraq and signed economic and political agreements with the Iraqi government, whereas there have been mere talks about such agreements between the United States and Iraq.<br />
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Iraq’s strategic location in the Middle East would have served as a good check on the encroaching Iranian regime. Now, Iraq can’t even protect its airspace and its borders. While a prosperous and democratic Iraq would set a good example for the band of countries where people are demanding democracy, a failed one would serve as poster child for how democracy can fail in the Middle East. There is still a chance for negotiations to resume and possibly leave a couple of thousand troops in Iraq. If these negotiations fail, Iraq will be in the hands of Iran and the lost lives of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of American soldiers would have been in vain. <br />
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<br />Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-35729267818054629202011-11-12T09:42:00.001-08:002011-11-12T11:55:02.926-08:00Iraq Abstained as Arab League Voted on Syria Suspension<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Arab League decided to suspend Syria's membership. <br />
Lebanon and Yemen voted against the measure. Iraq abstained from voting. </td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">By: Ali Rawaf</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">A month after Iraq’s government had cracked down on former members of the Iraq Baath regime, it abstained from voting to suspend Syria’s Baathist regime from membership in the Arab League. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Only two countries voted against the suspension: Yemen and Lebanon. It is understandable why those two would vote as such. The Yemeni is also facing public demonstrations and protests, demanding democracy. Lebanon’s government, which used to be overwhelmed by Syrian influence, is now dominated by Hezbolla, a militant and political group funded by Iran.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Iraq, on the other hand, should have been leading the effort to suspend Syria’s membership. After all, it is the first country in the region that has experimented with democratization. The Iraqi government, which consists predominantly of Shiites and Kurdish politicians, shouldn’t forget how Saddam Hussein massacred the Shiites and the Kurds when they revolted against the government in 1991. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">This is yet another alarming move by the Iraqi government. Such actions invoke only concerns amongst Iraqis. Last month, the government launched a campaign of arrests against former Baathists. More than 600 former Baathists were arrested, some of which were government employees and college professors. Why the crack down on harmless civilians but The Iraqi Prime Minister said the Baath Party, which is banned by the constitution, was conspiring to bring down Iraq’s new democracy, a claim which Iraqis have heard too many times. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">If anything, Iraq's decision seems like another favor to Iran, which has pressed the Iraqi </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">government</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"> to support the Syrian regime. A few months ago, Prime Minister Al-Maliki hosted a group of Syrian officials and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">entrepreneurs</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"> to strengthen ties with the next-door neighbor, while the rest of the world was calling on the Syrian president to step down.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Iraq’s abstention to vote to suspend the membership of Syria’s violent and authoritarian regime offers one more clue as to where Iraqi might be headed in the future. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-46748181055015269422011-10-22T11:26:00.000-07:002011-10-22T16:31:10.495-07:00Gaddafi: Born and Killed in Sirte, LibyaBy: Ali Rawaf<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F-ZZzveRO6A" width="420"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><em>In this video, a bunch of the rebels are dragging Gaddafi down the street, htting him, and pulling his hair. Through out the video, one can hear a couple of them yelling "Keep him alive." One of the rebels repeats to Gaddafi, "This is Misrata you dog," referring to the fact that people of city that was bombed the most by Gaddafi's forces have captured him. The camera turns and voices are heard yelling "No, no, no." Gun shots are heard then the crowd starts yelling "God is great, God is great."</em></span><br />
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It is ironic that the last words of a man who ordered the shooting of thousands of people were “Don’t shoot.” It is also ironic to see the people who revolted against him for his violent control of Lybia end up treating him so violently.<br />
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When Saddam Hussein was hung amidst a cheering crowd, telling him to go to “go to hell”, I thought that was barbaric for a country that was trying to put behind decades of violence. But the Libyan rebels took a lot further with their dictator. They shot him in the legs and the head. They dragged him down the street, while hitting him and yelling at him, “shut up you dog.” Gaddafi tried to dodge the punches and wipe his bleeding face. <br />
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Later footage shows him lying on a bed of a truck, covered in blood, surrounded by a cheering crowd. “God is great,” they chanted, probably the same word Gaddafi himself chanted when he lead a military coup on his predecessor 42 years ago. <br />
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As Gaddafi fell, the chants got louder and the crowds started shooting in the air, celebrating his death. <br />
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His son was captured without any injuries. Shortly after, it was reported that he was killed for trying to fight his captors. He wasn’t armed. He was shot four times in the back. <br />
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I am not mourning Gaddafi’s death and I am not speaking against the revolutionaries of Libya but what I am trying to say is that it doesn’t make sense to change an era of violence with such an act. On paper, Gaddafi and his son were killed without a trial. This is not a good precedent for a country that wants to build a peaceful democracy. <br />
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What Libyans and other revolting countries need to realize is that they are setting precedents. The more peaceful and civilized they are, the more they will advance their cause. It would have made a big difference if the dictator was put through trial. Now, from the beginning, the new Libyan government will have to deal with accusations of violating human rights. Putting him to trial could have been a good initiative to promote rule of law. But they didn't. Nato and the Libya’s National Transitional Council signaled that Gaddafi’s death would end the military operations. The future of Libya is just as uncertain as the way Gaddafi died (or was killed). What I’m certain about is that this is not a good way to start a peaceful democracy. <br />
<br />Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-17942781377050643262011-10-06T08:13:00.000-07:002011-10-06T08:19:34.032-07:00Iraqi's Dissatisfaction with Economy Hits Record High<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ygEJBW3tqYgLIiS22HODYUMf-G9EwMeJ8aEna7XLO6Styb0Tjl1LfGWdALH-GcCCgzJkMPbtQyNWThaPkCIHNzbiQixV0reuyYLkmECKdcL9q8VILizHXTyDrFDiFQCCWOHjRUvFDyY/s1600/image3211713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ygEJBW3tqYgLIiS22HODYUMf-G9EwMeJ8aEna7XLO6Styb0Tjl1LfGWdALH-GcCCgzJkMPbtQyNWThaPkCIHNzbiQixV0reuyYLkmECKdcL9q8VILizHXTyDrFDiFQCCWOHjRUvFDyY/s320/image3211713.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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By: Ali Rawaf</div>
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A survey conducted by Gallup Polls shows Iraqis have grown more dissatisfied with the economic conditions of the country. Between January 2010 and early 2011, the number of Iraqis who think the economy is getting worse has significantly risen to 37 percent, up from 20 percent last year.<br />
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Survey results show more than half of Iraqis are dissatisfied with their standard of living. A third of the population struggles to pay for shelter. A UN report also shows that more than half of Iraqis live in slum conditions.</div>
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Iraqis don't see an end in sight. Even though the country's revenue have increased, especially after the rise in oil prices and the increase in the Iraq's oil output, the government has failed to implement policies to incentivise the economy. The private sector remains weak and public sector jobs are mostly given to individuals with connections or party affiliations. 65 percent believe it is a bad time to get a job in cities where they live. </div>
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The Iraqi political elite has failed to enact legislation to provide any form of stability to the economy. The country lacks law to protect the rights of private business and lacks any incentives for foreign entities to come in for investments. Building the infrastructure can provide people with many jobs. Reviving agriculture can provide jobs. Foreign companies can be invited to invest in the country and hire Iraqi people. These are few possible solutions. The political body can do much more to help the economy, if they put their differences aside and work on common interests of the Iraqi people.<br />
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Sources: Gallup<br />
<a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/149702/Economic-Negativity-Abounds-Iraq.aspx">http://www.gallup.com/poll/149702/Economic-Negativity-Abounds-Iraq.aspx</a></div>
Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-32092008071956475672011-10-04T16:58:00.000-07:002011-10-06T08:15:05.950-07:00Can Iraq Let Go of the Death Penalty?<br />
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By: Ali Rawaf</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnah7eGs7BcEW3rDj-GpWwIqoe9HHxiBy5QuYcShIhhVq3jplbmUEJ68bCB8tnIut8TKZusOaAWL3OJnJ5V1Mm0xFVKRUHdm8HrEsUTrBAgXf_s5Irc3W7Ev554TAv7kY0nu_bmF9OJfw/s1600/i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnah7eGs7BcEW3rDj-GpWwIqoe9HHxiBy5QuYcShIhhVq3jplbmUEJ68bCB8tnIut8TKZusOaAWL3OJnJ5V1Mm0xFVKRUHdm8HrEsUTrBAgXf_s5Irc3W7Ev554TAv7kY0nu_bmF9OJfw/s1600/i.jpg" /></a></div>
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In the West, the debate over the death penalty has been
heated and ongoing for a long time. Recently, the execution of Troy Davis, a
former inmate in the State of Georgia in the US, has brought this subject back
to the attention of the world. Different countries, religious groups, and human
rights groups have protested the death sentence that was given to Troy Davis,
who was convicted of killing a police officer 20 years ago but the evidence in
the case wasn’t conclusive. In the Middle East, the death penalty hasn’t been
as much debated as it is in the west. After all, most governments in the Middle
East don’t have to follow the legal procedure to see the execution of their
citizens. </div>
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In Iraq, courts have to deal with more than just ordinary
killers and criminals. They have to deal with terrorists and mass killers so
the death penalty is given more often than in other countries. In one court
hearing in 2005, a woman described why she wanted the capital punishment for
the killers of her son, “They broke his arms. They broke his legs. They took
out his eyeballs […] I want the death penalty.” This is one of hundreds of
similar cases and so, hundreds of death sentences have been given since 2003. </div>
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Under the counter-terrorism laws, the government had
established the “secret informer,” a guarantee from the government that if one
reports a terrorist activity, the person’s identity shall remain secret.
Because of the “secret informer,” many have been arrested without real offenses
and many have wrongly been executed. </div>
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According to Amnesty International, Iraqi authorities
justify the use of the death penalty as form of deterrence, even though officials
like the former Iraqi Human Rights Minister admit that it is useless. In 2010,
the organization listed in its report that 1100 prisoners are under the
sentence of death and most of them have ran out of ways to appeal their
sentences. </div>
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Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human
Rights Watch have called on Iraqi authorities to stop the death penalty in the country,
citing high numbers of death sentences, many of which are given without fair
trials or without any evidence. The Parliament has finally paid some attention
to this issue. The Human Rights Committee in Parliament announced today that
they will debate a legislation to stop the death penalty in the country. Parliament
members said that mounting pressure from human rights groups have pushed them
to consider such a measure. Other members say, given the security situation,
this type of legislation will not do the country any good at this point in
time. </div>
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The question to Mailki’s government is how much do they
really care about promoting reconciliation in the country? If they do care one
tiny bit, ending the death sentence would be a good place to start. </div>
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Sources:</div>
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Iraq: Human Rights Briefing 2010 - Amnesty International</div>
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<a href="http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE14/004/2010/en/20f0c384-7dc6-409d-a0fb-767c349ef41c/mde140042010en.html#4.3)%20Unfair%20trials|outline">http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE14/004/2010/en/20f0c384-7dc6-409d-a0fb-767c349ef41c/mde140042010en.html#4.3)%20Unfair%20trials|outline</a></div>
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Radio Sawa: Discussions About New Legislation to Stop Death Penalty</div>
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<a href="http://www.radiosawa.com/iraq/arabic_news.aspx?id=3378537&cid=2">http://www.radiosawa.com/iraq/arabic_news.aspx?id=3378537&cid=2</a></div>
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Washington Post: Capitol Punishment Returns to Iraq</div>
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<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/25/AR2005052501970.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/25/AR2005052501970.html</a></div>
Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-63612809915992454802011-10-03T09:28:00.000-07:002011-10-06T08:18:16.466-07:00Iraqi Parliament is More Active<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">
By: Ali Rawaf</span></span><span style="color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Today, Nuri Al-Maliki is seen
more of an authoritarian ruler than a prime minister in a newly formed
democracy. He fires opponents, ignores political promises and agreements, and
defies the legislative and the legal system of the country. And Parliament
doesn’t exercise its power to check on the Prime Minister.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNQcg045oprwlke6LCeE-lksAQB0Ve3qDSlBy8A4LTsgWq8w6PgdtqOg4FkzLJNeWBqE8jUAvDgidbop7BnDOKHDPSG3cqbTszDXakk8WJsPOrtX_IK73i7tqEgQ5MVHDD_JSHbpv-2Y/s1600/bribery.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNQcg045oprwlke6LCeE-lksAQB0Ve3qDSlBy8A4LTsgWq8w6PgdtqOg4FkzLJNeWBqE8jUAvDgidbop7BnDOKHDPSG3cqbTszDXakk8WJsPOrtX_IK73i7tqEgQ5MVHDD_JSHbpv-2Y/s320/bribery.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In recent
move that further demonized the second term PM, Maliki pressured the Chairman
of Iraq’s Integrity Commission*, Judge Raheem Al-Ugaili to resign**. The PM’s
party says the Chairman wasn’t qualified for the position anyways because he
was a former Baathist and therefore shouldn’t hold such an important position.
Maliki asked the Chairman to investigate two corruption cases in which two of
Maliki’s opponents are involved. When, the Chairman refused to do so for lack
of evidence, Maliki pressured him to resign.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In Maliki’s first term,
Parliament would have overlooked the resignation of the Chairman and wouldn’t
have sought for ways to check the power of the PM, who obviously has
overstepped his boundaries.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> But
not this time. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>A day late,
a member of the Parliament’s Integrity Committee(Different from the Integrity
Commission), Sabbah Al-Saedi<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> issued
a press release in which characterized the move as reminiscent of Saddam
Hussein’s authoritarian regime and cautioned his fellow members that if this
move goes unopposed, they are letting a new Saddam Hussein flourish in the
country’s new democracy.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Maliki sought an arrest warrant
against Al-Saedi, in which he claimed that his comments threaten the countries
security. The warrant was issues, based on a law from the Saddam Hussein era
under which opponents were criminalized.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In order for the arrest to go
through, Parliament has to withdraw immunity from the member. A majority of the
parliament stood by the member and didn’t withdraw his immunity. Further,
Parliament voted for a new law for the Integrity Commission, where the Chairman
is appointed and is fired by Parliament and not the PM. However, a day before
the law was passed, Maliki used a law from the Coalition Administration under
Paul Bremer to appoint a temporary Chairman for the Integrity Commission.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Iraqi parliament got its act
together to vote for the law. Now, will they get their act together to appoint
a new Chairman for the Integrity Commission?</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">*Under the Iraqi Constitution, The Integrity Commission is one of the principal independent oversight bodies like the Electoral Commission and the Central bank. The Commission investigates corruption cases in government institutions. According to the Commission's website, it had succeeded in indicting more than 2000 government employees on the basis of fraud (Bribery) and/or providing false college degrees in their job applications.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> **Judge Rahem Al-Ugaili was born in 1966, bachelor degree in Law from university of Baghdad in 1991. After his graduation at the Judicial Institution, he was appointed as a judge in 1997. Judge Izzat Twafiq is the fourth personality to hold the presidency of Commission of Integrity which was established by CPA where Mr. Rady Al-Rady was the first commissioner.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Website of the
Integrity Commission: </span><a href="http://www.nazaha.iq/en_default.asp"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">http://www.nazaha.iq/en_default.asp</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-15282687438486030962011-04-10T22:12:00.000-07:002011-04-12T11:15:01.929-07:00Why US Troops Should Stay in Iraq<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By: Ali Rawaf</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9g_2JyMmAIU0y7Dsch-UXJgn4X7ucMA4Mx5xQ6dKI1OOesmYkTdxdUvcuaILfWLxfPhahChTH6Df5polozGTC8kqbvoMMDvuScI76WOo1abGFDXe55rfxt2TE3nM-mRPmX6xxLEZ-Qy8/s1600/Gates_Iraq_Segr_t600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9g_2JyMmAIU0y7Dsch-UXJgn4X7ucMA4Mx5xQ6dKI1OOesmYkTdxdUvcuaILfWLxfPhahChTH6Df5polozGTC8kqbvoMMDvuScI76WOo1abGFDXe55rfxt2TE3nM-mRPmX6xxLEZ-Qy8/s400/Gates_Iraq_Segr_t600.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki and US Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates discuss US withdrawal during Gates" recent visit to Iraq</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates visited <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> last week. In his visit, Gates asked Iraqi officials to makeup their minds about whether they want the <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> troops to stay in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>. This marks the first time the Obama Administration mentions longer <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> presence in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Iraqis are split on whether they want American soldiers to remain in the country. Spokesmen from the Ministries of Defense and Internal Affairs have said the Iraqi military and police forces are ready to take the task of protecting the country on their own. Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki has been consistent in his public comments about abiding by the State of Forces Agreement (SOFA) which outline US military withdraws by August of this year. In press conferences in March, Maliki went to the extent of saying that “<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region></st1:place> is the safest country in the region,” citing the violence sweeping other Middle Eastern countries, where protests are taking place. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But these comments made by Maliki and other Iraqi officials don’t reflect the reality in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>. A few days ago, a group of armed men, set off a car bomb in front of the City Council building in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">province</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Sallahuddin</st1:placename></st1:place>. After, those men stormed into the building and took everyone in the building as hostages. Two of the hostages were members of the City Council. A few minutes later, American soldiers arrived on the scene and were followed by the Iraqi Army. The story ends by the Iraqi army throwing grenade and killing the terrorists and everyone else in the building, including the City Council members. If this story tells anything, it is that the Iraqi military is by no means ready to handle the county’s security. This is not to mention the recent escalation in the number of car bombs, kidnapping, and assassinations. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Nevertheless, Muqtada al-Sadir, the anti-American Shiite cleric and al-Mahdi militia leader, called on his followers to go out and protest Gate’s comments and ask for complete military withdrawal. Muqtada wasn’t the only politician who denounced Gates’ comments. This diverts Iraqis’ attention from protesting against poor service and government corruption to be focused once again, against <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place> and the West. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> needs the American troops to stay. Even though <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region></st1:place> is getting very slowly better, the chances of success are still high. Iraqi people now want to be part of the political process. They voted and they are asking for better policies and a better government through demonstrations and protests. More importantly, the civil society is getting more robust. It would be a waste, considering the massive number of Iraqi civilian casualties and the lost lives of American soldiers, to suddenly pull out and leave the country vulnerable to terrorism and dangerous regional influence. Wikileaks documents show that many of the Iraqi politicians also want the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> troops to stay and admit the need for their presence, despite what they say publically. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The protests in the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place> might have shifted the American Administration’s attention to the region. For a while, the Administration is criticized for less engagement in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>. But <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region>’s future will have an effect on the outcomes of the transition in the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>. The Obama Administration might have just realized that. And Gates’ comments might be the early signs of that shifted attention. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-47996812834849079032011-03-20T10:18:00.000-07:002011-03-21T09:06:25.555-07:00Iraq: Guns vs. Butter, Butter WinsBy Ali Rawaf<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MjQ0F8Bt4f6azXWTHxjElEs4T7Gi_KGXmcosXs1ee561-V_JrmCC8jctXRnih_eDJF-YEvwwhI8ni-tyEvqwHpH-SmEWhg3QRDtLU7-k9IvvoVhG-OJXvNmV_LbEa1FDwxWj61woRtE/s1600/FileIraqi+Air+Force+080318-F-7638L-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MjQ0F8Bt4f6azXWTHxjElEs4T7Gi_KGXmcosXs1ee561-V_JrmCC8jctXRnih_eDJF-YEvwwhI8ni-tyEvqwHpH-SmEWhg3QRDtLU7-k9IvvoVhG-OJXvNmV_LbEa1FDwxWj61woRtE/s400/FileIraqi+Air+Force+080318-F-7638L-001.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">The American victory against Saddam Hussein's Army came mostly by air force attacks. The US outmatched Iraq's air force capabilities and was able to swipe of the Iraqi army in just a couple of weeks. The air force has also been one of Gaddafi’s main tools for devastating the rebel forces and gaining momentum once again. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s air force stands weaker today than it’s ever had. The current aircraft capabilities don’t go farther than transportation purposes. So, if <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region> was to attack us today with its overwhelming air force, it can demolish whatever Iraqi military capability in no time (if the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> isn’t around anymore).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Two years ago, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region>’s defense ministry bid for a number of fighter jets from the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> and won an unprecedented support for its bid from the latter. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> was able to order more than 90 F-16’s. In February, 18 of them were ready for purchase.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In February, however, Iraqis went on the streets and protested poor services, one of which was the national food program, which provides millions of Iraqis with basic food supplies such as flour, rice, and sugar. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> hasn’t been able to pay for these massive food subsidies partially due to the massive salaries Iraqi officials have granted themselves.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>To appease the crowds, the Iraqi government diverted funds that were allocated for the purchase of the F-16’s to buy more flour, sugar, and rice. However, the pilots who traveled to the US to get training on flying the jets will continue their program. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I wouldn’t say this is the smartest move and makes me feel quite ambivalent. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On one hand, it is a good sign. If Saddam Hussein was still in power, he wouldn’t have given a second thought to purchasing the fighter jets. For him, advancing the military would have been more important than feeding the hungry crowds. On the other hand, this kind of move leaves more space for other countries to practice regional dominance, something that isn’t in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s best interest. I think the Iraqi government could have diverted money from other programs to purchase the F-16’s, all of which will be pending until Iraq has the money to purchase them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Note: Guns vs Butter is <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">a symbol for the economic policy of a government insofar as spending is allocated for either military or social purposes</span></span></div>Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-70552303114393780112011-03-05T08:12:00.000-08:002011-03-05T09:11:09.969-08:00In Facing Protests, Iraq's Democracy Looks More Authoritarian<div class="MsoNormal">By: Ali Rawaf<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8syfFXEKohC2wgr8QDIKvigItvZN1BYGDk-miZHxOZypwD6SgnD2HacnZhJ8PK2IXdHe3hzjY5tDdF72H87Ae9udyNRBb_OQP4KRv-eger6bn-SosaS_kVSPPcg0NOOAOkKrxp6ZC30/s1600/Iraqi+security+forces+in+Baghdad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8syfFXEKohC2wgr8QDIKvigItvZN1BYGDk-miZHxOZypwD6SgnD2HacnZhJ8PK2IXdHe3hzjY5tDdF72H87Ae9udyNRBb_OQP4KRv-eger6bn-SosaS_kVSPPcg0NOOAOkKrxp6ZC30/s1600/Iraqi+security+forces+in+Baghdad.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iraqi Forces surrounding Tahrir Square, where Iraqis protested poor services and high unemployment</td></tr>
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Iraq, a democracy where elections were almost free and fair, didn’t treat its protestors any better than the rest of the authoritarian regimes in the region. The government took quick and violent actions to prevent Iraq’s protests from gaining momentum. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since the inception of the protests, Maliki branded the activists who organized the protests as Baathists and member of al-Qaeda who were looking for opportunities to bring down the Iraqi government, despite repeated declarations that the protests were aimed at improving basic services and unemployment, not at removing the current government. This move, previously employed against political opponents, discouraged many people from voicing their discontent in the protests. Another fear-mongering announcement from Maliki’s office was humorous. In it, Maliki predicted that terrorists dressed in police uniforms will beat the protestors so people should be cautious. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On the eve of the protest, a curfew was imposed by the Prime Minister’s office (The Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces) until further notice. On the day of the protests, many of Iraq’s Sunni provinces had imposed curfews. Despite the curfew, people marched down the streets and expressed their anger with the current status of services and employment. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Freedom of the press, a constitutional right, was violated as well. Iraqi and foreign TV networks weren’t allowed to cover the protests live, therefore, people wouldn’t be encouraged to come join the protests after watching them on TV. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Journalists who were on the grounds of the protests were beaten, humiliated, and imprisoned by the Iraqi Army and police forces. Journalists, who were freed later, said they had seen leaders of civil society groups, actors, activists, and local civilians imprisoned and beaten by the Iraqi forces. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The protestors themselves were hosed with water cannons, beaten, and imprisoned. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The central government and Parliament found a way of diverting the blame onto local governments instead of taking responsibility for the shortcomings in their performance for the past years. Governors of two provinces had resigned and a few other governors are expected to do the same soon. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To appease the protestors, Maliki and the parliament, cut their salaries by 20%, though originally intended to cut 50%. They also promised to give more food aid for the poor, place a halt on a newly approved import tax, and to improve basic services within a 100 days. Critics are skeptical that such promises will be fulfilled. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwkgB6DyV40tZOtMfqEk-f5l3c5X6N3Cy3pgr64d4lPsU7ulicePKKN0lMje9ne-g8o55NcmJxSt-cQkEC74ghSfoaF-f1A8cSsZuv-dFSDs02qf9qG90iwlKyHKydVuL_dCe0ncxBoQ/s1600/11-2-26-1512505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwkgB6DyV40tZOtMfqEk-f5l3c5X6N3Cy3pgr64d4lPsU7ulicePKKN0lMje9ne-g8o55NcmJxSt-cQkEC74ghSfoaF-f1A8cSsZuv-dFSDs02qf9qG90iwlKyHKydVuL_dCe0ncxBoQ/s320/11-2-26-1512505.jpg" width="320" /></a>If I could draw one main theme of the protests, it would be regret. Iraqis risked their lives on March 7<sup>th </sup>2010 to vote for a new government. A year later, that government hasn’t been formed completely, with key ministries such as the Interior and Defense still vacant. The very little faith Iraqis had that the past election cycle was going to bring about change, has been lost. The picture shows an Iraqi biting his index finger, a gesture of regret in Iraqi culture. His finger is still painted purple with voting ink.</div>Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-38490082853548251572010-11-30T12:35:00.000-08:002010-11-30T13:21:23.539-08:00The Iranianization of Iraq<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Ali Rawaf</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After the Islamic revolution in Iran, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">many actions were taken to make the country more conservative</span>. T<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ixU33FaG_dgC&pg=PA354&lpg=PA354&dq=khomeini+theatre+ban&source=bl&ots=dRl1D450no&sig=b5I0tWI2rsxioSTlPQsgRQ80zzA&hl=en&ei=5Gn1TLflF4mbnAew4eG6CQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false">he new government at the time cracked down on Cinemas, theatres, music halls</a>. The Khomeini government also shut down liquor stores, bars, and social clubs, all of which used to run freely under the Shah. I see similar actions being taken today in Iraq. Previously, I have written about the Iranian influence in Iraq in politics. I have been reading news about several changes in the social aspects of the Iraqi community, ones that I link to a religious Iranian influence projected to change the structure of our society. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Today, a few Parliament Members who represent minorities showed their objection to a recent decision taken by local authorities to shut down social clubs, bars, and some restaurants that serve alcohol. Kenna, a Parliament Member who represent the Christians in Iraq said the decision punishes the Christian minority unjustly, “Just because a few people who are not supposed to drink go to those social clubs and drink alcohol, those social clubs shouldn’t be closed<a href="http://www.uragency.net/index.php?aa=news&id22=14405">,” said Kenna criticizing the recent law</a>. Another Member, <a href="http://www.uragency.net/index.php?aa=news&id22=14406">Mehma Khalil who represents the Yezidi ethnicity</a> in Iraq said the law will drive minorities out of Iraq, “Many minorities run such businesses […] these venues are sources of income to many of these people.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The reality is Iraq used to be known in the Middle East for alcohol. Iraq’s secular society used to receive Saudis and Kuwaitis who cross the border to come drink in their venues. Shutting down these venues will not only have a negative impact on the society by driving communities out of the country, it will also be one more factor that is detrimental to the economy. <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/03/AR2010010302228_2.html?sid=ST2010010302281">Even when Saddam Hussein tightened social norms</a>* to win tribal support in the early 90’s, liquor stores and bars were still open. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuuHXJ6V11gn6SyQognJ4FEuVddbG8VV3wJW1TuaewWZ4y-meL5QGg6zksbCnBl8GjnjaFGBlZk35f_jtiPehM8zYJ_XB1vTYPhyphenhyphenpmFKKES-K24_xDyzp20GFKR0juyIcTRBGGwVZvzI/s1600/Iranian+circus+entertaining+its+Iraqi+audience+in+the+ancient+Babylon+ruins+in+Hilla+province+%2528File%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuuHXJ6V11gn6SyQognJ4FEuVddbG8VV3wJW1TuaewWZ4y-meL5QGg6zksbCnBl8GjnjaFGBlZk35f_jtiPehM8zYJ_XB1vTYPhyphenhyphenpmFKKES-K24_xDyzp20GFKR0juyIcTRBGGwVZvzI/s320/Iranian+circus+entertaining+its+Iraqi+audience+in+the+ancient+Babylon+ruins+in+Hilla+province+%2528File%2529.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Babylon Festival Hall, Oct 2010. Picture by al-Arabyia</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In 2004, Shiite militias such as the Mahdi Army cracked down on theatres, music halls, and video/CD stores in the south. The southern region is known for its prominence in the field of entertainment, especially music. In October, Iraqis celebrated the Babylon Festival, an annual festival where famous musicians and actors perform. This year music was banned in the Festival because it coincided with one Imam's birthday. The ban, as <a href="http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2010/10/05/121274.html">al-Arabyia puts it</a>, “<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">[left] most of the performers hailing all the way from Algeria, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Finland, Iran and Russia swaggering around the ruins of Babylon.</span>”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is frustrating because the toppling of Saddam’s statue was a symbol to many Iraqis that there will be more freedoms, not less. We also hoped that the government wouldn’t align itself with religious factions and religious ideologies. All of this begs the question, if the government will decide what you drink to what one should listen, where do we draw the line? And when will the people of Iraq speak out?</div><div class="MsoNormal">-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">*The Washington Post article that is linked in the blog talk about Abu Nawas. Abu Nawas is one of Baghdad’s most famous streets. It is filled with sea food restaurants, night clubs, bars, and music halls. The street faced some difficulties during Saddam Hussein’s era but not to the extent that it is facing today. In February of 2009, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/02/27/GA2009022702844.html?sid=ST2009022703164">the street was reopened after the US funded efforts to restore it</a>. Soon after, the Iraqi local authorities cracked down on all of these venues, putting down hopes of restoring night life to Baghdad. </div>Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-84311522519665534072010-11-14T08:36:00.000-08:002010-11-14T08:50:28.334-08:00Iraq Government Formation Sets a Bad Precedence for a Democracy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2g9v-pyuQcf_lPHSqiIzFaQYDL6wYCxPXCcvL4FsGq1ydey8EAsxwQdfgDsPdEkVtgsY3qhsYg1qShPMSbvaEkqPy6tGT8kO095_ItfnloTZNshXCe_cuMd0rXWhp_vVe7ryCADAgV1c/s1600/WO-AD327_IRAQPO_G_20101111205900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2g9v-pyuQcf_lPHSqiIzFaQYDL6wYCxPXCcvL4FsGq1ydey8EAsxwQdfgDsPdEkVtgsY3qhsYg1qShPMSbvaEkqPy6tGT8kO095_ItfnloTZNshXCe_cuMd0rXWhp_vVe7ryCADAgV1c/s400/WO-AD327_IRAQPO_G_20101111205900.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>By: Ali Rawaf<br />
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It would have been great if I could start this blog by congratulating my people about the formation of the government. But unfortunately, what they portray to be the conclusion of a record_breaking and tumultuous eight months of negotiations is nothing but a magnified picture of the disarray of Iraqi politics that has been ongoing and will continue to take place in this government.<br />
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<b>Confessionalism</b><br />
Iraqi politicians pay little attention to the fact that what early governments do in new democracies, sets precedence for future governments. The power-sharing deal on which the parties agree will only institutionalize the sectarianism and the division of the current Iraqi society. The presidency to the Kurdish Talabani, PM post for Maliki, a Shiite, and the parliament Speaker position was given to Nujeifi, a prominent Sunni leader in al-Iraqyia. The perceived amount of power vested in each position is supposed to reflect the percentage of population each sect posses. Sounds silly but sadly, it's true. This kind of power-sharing pays little attention to anything about any candidate other than his sect. So forget having professionals in government as long as they meet the sect requirement. Progressively, politicians elevated the rhetoric about sectarianism in respect to the positions in the new government.<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/world/middleeast/10maliki.html?_r=1"> Maliki was the first </a>when he told reporters that despite the wishes of having an nonsectarian political race, sectarianism will continue to dominate the process. Kurdish MP's said that the Presidency is a <a href="http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=1429147&lang=eng_news">Kurdish right despite the elections results</a>. This is similar to what happened in 2005 and 2006 and exactly how Maliki won his first term. The Parliament also agreed to establish A National Strategic Council which is presumed to be given to Allawi, the head of the Iraqyiah List. The latter position is supposed to check on the PM's powers, it will also have executive powers over security, economy, and foreign policy. Allawi is a secular Shiite.<br />
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<b>Inefficiency</b><br />
While you might think that a power-sharing deal such as the one Iraqis figured out would bring about what Allawi calls "Devolution of power," it can tremendously stall the political process. Each of these positions don't have clearly defined powers but each of them is supposed to have some sort of a check on each other. If there are four, heads to a government, how long will it take them to make a consensus on a certain issue? I predict very long, knowing that it took them 8 months to come up with this fragile deal.<br />
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Allawi's new council, under which the PM will serve as a member, will be very inefficient. Any decision made by the council has to win a vote of an absolute plurality and 80% of the vote in Parliament. Allawi is frustrated. I would too, how can you get 80% of a sectarian parliament to agree on a piece of legislation when they couldn't agree on making a simple majority to form a government for 8 months?<br />
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Arguably, it is good to have a long period of deliberation when introducing a legislation. But in a country that is desperately in need of rapid government actions to bring about basic services such as water, electricity, this kind of government dynamics can be a little early.<br />
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<b>Above the Law</b><br />
Before the elections, key members of al-Iraqiyah List were prohibited from running in the election by a P<a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/iraqs-new-sectarian-storm-clouds">arliamentary commission responsible for running de-Baathification, a program set to oust former members of Saddam Hussein's party and his regime</a>. The program goes after all kinds of public servants and even college professors. Part of the pact the party leaders signed to reach the agreement was the exclusion of key politicians in al-Iraqyia from the de-Baathification program and awarding them with positions in the government, after the elections. To be fair, some of these members were de-Baathified with no evidence. This tells other public servants, who were unjustly ousted from office due to the de-Baathification program, that politicians are simply above the law. This is another example of a bad precedence for a new democracy.<br />
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<b>The Will of the Voters</b><br />
When I voted, I voted for change. Many Iraqis did the same. Iraqis were fed up with the sectarian orientation of the former government. The US President said "the government of Iraq will be inclusive and representative." I beg to differ. Having a Shiite, a Kurd, and a Sunni hold key positions in the government doesn't make it representative of the will of the people. What we have in Iraq today is similar to what we had in the past four years, a bad government and a dwindling hope in the future of democracy in Iraq.Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-35012818464369849722010-07-07T18:48:00.000-07:002010-07-07T18:48:36.522-07:00Women's Role in Iraqi Politics Remains Inactive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcNpP6wM_4wIpvb-rlagNFQSuCi5ZWTpQNcLI_wF7VB9JmMMalj8BopPjrbWX79IsdiXkpAKXYllVJ1ndDj5NOVchzEZJIIz8GFxGT1trrSzVP1j9FXsXW-d5CeRxiQOmHSoUPFxGNk0/s1600/%D8%B5%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%A9+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcNpP6wM_4wIpvb-rlagNFQSuCi5ZWTpQNcLI_wF7VB9JmMMalj8BopPjrbWX79IsdiXkpAKXYllVJ1ndDj5NOVchzEZJIIz8GFxGT1trrSzVP1j9FXsXW-d5CeRxiQOmHSoUPFxGNk0/s320/%D8%B5%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%A9+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
By: Ali Rawaf<div><br />
</div>Though they make about a quarter of the newly elected parliament, their voices are unheard and ambitions of leadership remain unseen.Their role doesn't go beyond the fulfillment of the electoral quota. Today, however, one female politician spoke out. Safiya al-Suhail sent a letter to President Talabani asking him if he was "only a president for men and not women" referring to the dinner Talabani organized to break the deadlock in which only men were invited.<div><br />
</div><div> al-Suhail, member of the State of Law bloc said that women in Parliament should be involved in the negotiations to for the net government but her comments showed no ambition. She followed saying, "We [women MPs] will be better at the negotiations because we are not looking to get any of the higher positions." </div><div><br />
</div><div>Iraq was one of the first Middle Eastern countries to grant women equal rights but the norms of the society do not reflect so. The Iraqi government is dominated my men despite the presence of women in politics but this phenomena cuts across many different aspects of society which is unfortunate because the essence of democracy lies in the fact that all elements of society are represented and empowered. In Iraq, inclusion means the inclusion of other sects while women get overlooked. If we truly care about consolidating out democracy, we need to reevaluate the role women should play in society. We need to be inclusive not only of other sects but also of the other sex. Women must be empowered in all field such as education, work force, and at home. </div><div><br />
</div><div>In the picture: Safia al-Suhail, Iraqi MP and member of the State of Law bloc.</div><div><br />
</div>Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-78182001698812123282010-06-24T20:20:00.000-07:002010-06-25T07:02:33.654-07:00Is Iraq Falling Back Into Authoritarianism?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLD5p6Y0Pk3p5Scmmb0CFObMRKG7ibkbX1AL4CK43VAOud9BhJDxKkvsDI8pHClztSnG7Lrzi1ehHMSP5vMpBlfA1yjdnkjEaXl1UZojBUeFqXeXY8pRc1x5cqpq_BcZ_MT9GVXJYmaM/s1600/knin412l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLD5p6Y0Pk3p5Scmmb0CFObMRKG7ibkbX1AL4CK43VAOud9BhJDxKkvsDI8pHClztSnG7Lrzi1ehHMSP5vMpBlfA1yjdnkjEaXl1UZojBUeFqXeXY8pRc1x5cqpq_BcZ_MT9GVXJYmaM/s640/knin412l.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><br />
By: Ali Rawaf<br />
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One sad fact about new democracies is that they might turn back into authoritarian regimes that ruled the country before those democracies emerged. Iraq's democracy might be one of those. Iraq is on the brink of falling back into an authoritarian regime, under Maliki's Dawa party.<br />
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We have witnessed Maliki's strong grip on his seat as Prime Minister. Though his term has constitutionally expired, Maliki and his cabinet still have full control of all three powers; executive, legislative, and judicial. The cabinet has signed contracts, appointed ambassadors, passed laws, all while the Parliament is not really in session. Maliki's powers are all unchecked. Maliki seems to have also manipulated Iraq's supreme court to rule in his favor several times. Furthermore, Maliki has been trying every way possible to somehow "legitimize" his bloc, which came in second in the elections, to form the next government. Maliki's bloc, State Of Law has formed an alliance with the National Alliance, the radical Shiite bloc. The alliance, was named the National Alliance hours before the first session of Parliament so al-Iraqyiah wouldn't enter the first session as the biggest bloc. Maliki's alliance with the radical Shiite bloc had a bumpy start and remains in gridlock over which candidate they want for the Prime Minister post. The National Alliance remains under no leadership.<br />
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Recently, Iraqis marched down the streets protesting the lack of basic services such as drinking water and electricity. The protests, after taking place in five provinces, resulted in the resignation of the Minister of Electricity. The protests were seen by Maliki's State of Law as a movement to reduce Malki's popularity. Iraqi news networks reported today that Maliki ordered to tighten security measures in Basra, the province where the protests started. The security forces have more presence in the province and their purpose is to "discourage" anymore protests. Deterring the protests doesn't remind me of anything but of Iraq's old days under Saddam Hussein.<br />
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Today, al-Arabiya news channel was raided be security forces from the Ministry of Interior. The channel staff was ordered to evacuate their office because of "threats that their office will be attacked." The staff was instructed to leave behind all their equipment and belongings in the office before the Ministry of Interior shut down their office. al-Arabiya has been known for its support of Ayad Allawi, the head of the winning Iraqyiah bloc and Maliki's rival for the Prime Minister post. al-Arabyia had interviewed Allawi a few days ago.<br />
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With one sign after the other, Iraqis are beginning to lose hope in Iraq's democracy. Maliki and his cronies have managed to take over all aspects of governance in Iraq. Their insistence on remaining in power has brought chaos back to the country and put the political process at stalemate. Almost four months after the elections, Malki still shows no signs of stepping down from his expired post and to transfer power peacefully. The change for which Iraqis voted is farther than it seemed on the night of the elections.<br />
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</div>Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-20902122928624933252010-06-17T22:10:00.000-07:002010-06-18T07:53:20.864-07:00The Contradictions of Maliki's Politics<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">By: Ali Rawaf</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYAhXeromJxzj8V8nsUe7g6oEP_6RNhZgkS5-JFvyw6ZtlhLWp2PIfQ5rK3eOlTF2dfqsB62XDDPWy1fQE8-u-iXgyz37ZPiPM0SuNOJs3CXEoO90jbHLL2q4sS8ZbqxY5NLKSBzsExEE/s1600/cms-image-000000447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYAhXeromJxzj8V8nsUe7g6oEP_6RNhZgkS5-JFvyw6ZtlhLWp2PIfQ5rK3eOlTF2dfqsB62XDDPWy1fQE8-u-iXgyz37ZPiPM0SuNOJs3CXEoO90jbHLL2q4sS8ZbqxY5NLKSBzsExEE/s400/cms-image-000000447.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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Over the past three months, Maliki has proved that rules, norms, laws, and the constitution can be boldly violated without any regards to the public sentiments. It also proved the immaturity of Iraq's democracy and the politicians who are still new to the democratic game. <br />
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First, Maliki openly supported the rise of the De-baathification committee in the Parliament, a toll that was used to "legally" disqulaify candidates before the elections and after the results came out. The commission, under its new name, Commission for Justice and Accountability, made decisions to disqualify, sue, and publicly question the integrity of candidates, even though its Parliament was not in session. Recently, the commission said it would stop disqualifying newly-elected Parliamentarians, as if they have done us a favor.<br />
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Then, Maliki ran on a secular campaign, promising Iraqis that the past of ethnic tensions was to be left behind. He also promised that the politics of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessionalism_%28politics%29">confessionalism</a> in Iraq is now an old practice. Once he found out that the results weren't in his favor, he sought Iraqnian support and quickly tried to make a coalition with the radical Shiite bloc, which came third in the elections after Maliki's 89 nine seats and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_567064349">Allawi's</a><a href="http://www.aliraqiah.com/"> 91</a> seats. The Shiite "coalition" hasn't agreed on a leader of the coalition neither have they settled on a candidate for the prime minister's post, the two important features of a political coalition seem missing. But parties left and right don't like any of the other blocs' candidates(Top vote-getters) for the Prime Minister post, which is not respecting the new election law that calls for and "Open List," a term that refers to placing each candidate's name on the ballot so the voter will choose directly on who wants for the PM post. <br />
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Malki also criticized Allawi's visits to regional countries, <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/16377361?story_id=16377361">claiming that the visits represent an invitation to those countries to interfere in Iraqi politics</a>. In the past couple of days, Maliki sent delegations to Arab countries to garner their support for his second term, openly. <br />
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The State of Law, Nouri al-Malki's bloc rhetorically attacked Allawi when he said that a non-inclusive government will drag Iraq back into sectarian tensions and violence. Maliki, when he felt that the PM post was slipping from his hand, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/world/middleeast/10maliki.html">he claimed that Iraq will once again go back to sectarian violence if he is not to get a second term. </a><br />
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The State of Law's coalition with the radical Iraqi National Alliance, named "National AlLiance," declared the alliance within 48 hours of the date Parliament was set to convene and after <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_567064365">Ammar</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_567064365"> </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_567064365">al</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_567064365">_Hakim, the leader of the Iraqi National Alliance met with </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_567064365">Sistani</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_567064365">, the Shiite Grand </a><a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/17/2023383/top-cleric-seen-tipping-iraqs.html">Ayatolla</a>. This shows that religious authority can override the democratic process and norms and can still manipulate politics or influence it one way or another. <br />
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Maliki's government also is acting as it is the official government, not an interim one. The PM is writing laws, signing deals and contracts, and hiring ambassadors, all of which are non-constitutional. <br />
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In short, Iraq's democracy s fragile and its rules can still be bent by politicians. Once our politicians leave behind the past and the spirit of revenge and politics of confessionalism, elements of liberal democracy might be more tangible but if<a href="http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jun/17/iraqs-new-parliament-convenes-3-months-after-vote/"> we keep the gridlock and bold violation of electoral rule</a>s, laws,the constitution, and proportionally distribute government positions, we will stay unconsolidated democracy, a picture that much looks like Lebanon, if not worse.Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-47610890728897261622010-05-13T16:20:00.000-07:002010-05-13T16:20:36.305-07:00Are Terrorists Getting Dumber?Are Terrorists Getting Dumber?<br />
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The next time you go to US embassy to obtain a visa to fly over there with explosives, don’t arrive at the embassy with explosive residue on your hand. A Pakistani Tourism student in Chile was arrested after authorities were alarmed by their metal detector. Later authorities discovered that he was associated with al-Qaeda. This takes place only a few days after another al-Qaeda member of Pakistani origin was arrested in New York City, after he failed to escape and detonate his bomb; he locked the key to his escape car in the car bomb (Speaking about ulattiral damage). He was arrested at the JFK airport the next day. And let’s not mention the underpants bomber who also failed to bomb himself. <br />
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It is beginning to look like a pattern of highly unorganized attempts to attack the United States and the West. The United States government and experts attribute the recent al-Qaeda failure to the success of the United States and the world’s efforts to interrupting communication between the terrorist organization on the international level. It has become harder for al-Qaeda to organize its attacks from it headquarters in Afghanistan as well as from the Middle East. This is the result of the American recent attacks against al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan. <br />
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On the other hand, hundreds of Iraqi civilians and security forces were targeted by al-Qaeda. The US embassy and the American military stated that those attacks – took place in several provinces around the same time – were all linked and reflect a high level of coordination. These attacked were aimed at reigniting the sectarian violence as they targeted mostly Shiite civilians. Such a move doesn’t reflect an image unorganized terrorist network, on the contrary, it shows how active al-Qaeda is in Iraq. I attribute the failure of the Iraqi security forces to the lack of having intelligence and their inability to cut-off the communication amongst al-Qaeda in Iraq. <br />
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The secret behind murder of the two senior al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq last month was because the security forces found how the two communicated. Both men had a middle man who traveled across the country from Mosul to Anbar to Tikrit to Baghdad. After the security forces arrested the middle who eventually lead them to al-Masri and al-Baghdadi. The Iraqi government, instead of putting more military men inside the cities, need to invest in border patrol, not only borders with neighboring countries but also patrol of internal province-to-province level borders, something that doesn’t seem to take place as needed. <br />
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In short, while the terrorist are getting weaker around the world due to lack of communication, they are able to carry out heavier and more sophisticated attacks in Iraq because they are still able to communicate within the country. The Iraqi government and military need to put more focus towards monitoring and controlling the borders on the provinces-level. <br />
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Ali RawafAli Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-28908100287404826782010-04-17T08:42:00.001-07:002010-04-17T08:42:42.789-07:00Iraqi Elections: One Step Forward, Then Two Steps Back<span style="font-size: small;"></span><meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cadmin%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cadmin%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cadmin%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnhejLePzTpVmAu2RKLfYD2_v3UF2AfQT3VRCE61-2s5PwtqBu0TxJJQtZgDueSBw6f0EKZYsgbXHh1Cr4dtnQblxX3sTeAnmO8ow-dD2Rrpdh03UX30uW2vLSZFWcmS3JZinA6vOg-4/s1600/0326-iraq-election-win-graphic_full_238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnhejLePzTpVmAu2RKLfYD2_v3UF2AfQT3VRCE61-2s5PwtqBu0TxJJQtZgDueSBw6f0EKZYsgbXHh1Cr4dtnQblxX3sTeAnmO8ow-dD2Rrpdh03UX30uW2vLSZFWcmS3JZinA6vOg-4/s320/0326-iraq-election-win-graphic_full_238.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A day before announcing the results of the Iraqi parliamentary elections- after knowing that his party didn’t win a majority – Maliki asked the Supreme Court about the interpretation of Article 76 of the Iraqi Constitution. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The first clause of the Article reads: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">“<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The President of the Republic shall charge the nominee of the largest</span></span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Council of Representatives bloc with the formation of the Council of Ministers<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">within fifteen days from the date of the election of the President of the Republic.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The question was specifically about the interpretation of phrase “the largest<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Council of Representatives bloc.” The Supreme Court ruled that it meant the largest bloc after Parliament is in session. That means that the Shiites, though didn’t win a clear majority as one entity can form a coalition to forge the next Iraqi government. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">That will marginalize the Sunnis and moderate Iraqis who voted for the secular list of Ayad Allawi, Al-Iraqiya. Al-Iraqiya won 91 seats while Maliki’s State of Law won 89. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"> Before the Supreme Court changed the interpretation of the first clause of Article 76, Shiite parties didn’t seem in accordance with Maliki’s State of Law, if otherwise, why didn’t they run as one entity? But now that the Shiites have the Prime Minister position, they are not willing to give it up at any expense. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">The interpretation of the article is not fair. If the current interpretation of the Article prevails, that means that we have a problematic electoral system that doesn’t reward the winner of the elections with anything. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Another major obstacle for Allawi’s Al-Iraqyia is the Ayatolla Ali Al-Sistani. While Sistani received representatives from other parties, he refused to receive representatives from Al-Iraqiya and when asked about what he thought of Al-Iraqyia, Sistani’s Aide commented they consider them as the Sunni party, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">“The marjaiyah (religious Shiite leadership) sees Allawi as the representative of the secular trend. We don’t see him as a representative of the Shiites,” said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to share al-Sistani’s views with the media. –AP<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">This is dangerous because the Sunnis participated in the elections to be part of the government. Many of the Sunnis who used to fight gave up their arms for the sake of their votes and political participation. If the interpretation of Article 76 prevails, Sunni won’t have faith in Iraq’s democracy because the Shiites are always going to form a coalition to form the government whether they win the elections or not. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">If my interpretation of this situation is correct, we will have a multi-ethnic Iraq with a Shiite-dominated government that reveres Iran, emphasizes its own ethnic solidarity (rather than national solidarity), politicizes the security forces, and gains “legitimacy” over and over through elections which they hold only for the sake of formality and nothing else. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">How different is that from a Sunni-dominated government under Saddam Hussein?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">I end my argument with the Iraqi proverb, “The horse remained the same, only the rider had been changed.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-64595703558191476072010-03-12T07:20:00.000-08:002010-03-12T12:46:14.724-08:00I Voted With Pride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAE_y9od2GkDP_F96FO9_TuT0DKubtYe3CDnDKwHZInYVMFM3vtMjvOXOJXAr3Tj2ee719uMbor1ab1hD8rIvn61WXJQsRnJBD39xGqD0nycjy9WzBRfaUFMnDhFY-YLyyrmKIJxkjpG8/s1600-h/DSC00131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAE_y9od2GkDP_F96FO9_TuT0DKubtYe3CDnDKwHZInYVMFM3vtMjvOXOJXAr3Tj2ee719uMbor1ab1hD8rIvn61WXJQsRnJBD39xGqD0nycjy9WzBRfaUFMnDhFY-YLyyrmKIJxkjpG8/s320/DSC00131.JPG" /></a></div>By Ali Rawaf<br />
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For the first time in my life, I had the honor of participating in an event that has impacted the future of my country tremendously; I voted in the Iraqi election. <br />
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I was still young when the American Humvees drove through my neighborhood telling us through the speakers that mounted their vehicles that the war was over and we should resume to our normal life. I saw the old man on TV, beating Saddam’s picture with his shoe, the crowd that dragged the head of a statue of Saddam Hussein. I realized that our lives would never be the same again. Despite what the dark time we went through, as people, we emerged together in unity showing the world and our nasty enemy (terrorism) that we are strong and capable of voicing out our will.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfybcz_4Jd75O7opKQrV5Kh0axv7iqODAPBi-LP5JZFrFpOIETpNvJTOUhq8FYOyk4rPRumum1uCCN0mtWErnZ1zKR56qZpBQq8bWj5JFeMUEkXceL6dL7lJBfrkQcFReu8fxon-wLC4/s1600-h/DSC00135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfybcz_4Jd75O7opKQrV5Kh0axv7iqODAPBi-LP5JZFrFpOIETpNvJTOUhq8FYOyk4rPRumum1uCCN0mtWErnZ1zKR56qZpBQq8bWj5JFeMUEkXceL6dL7lJBfrkQcFReu8fxon-wLC4/s320/DSC00135.JPG" /></a></div>Ever since Iraq had its first election, I longed for the day I get to dip my finger in that purple ink, it was a symbol of patriotism but I didn’t quite understand it and realized the enormity of its impact, on an individual level as well as the society. I told everyone I knew that I wanted to vote in the next elections, no matter where I will be, under whatever circumstance, I knew I would vote. <br />
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Fortunately, Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission added one more voting station outside the country, one that was close to me. It was in Irving, Texas, three hours away from my residence in Austin. I was thrilled. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqnmhTpczgWvObbMs5HORlDdhn-_WWAN7iBCU1vsmqevEvysPwkwBiOK-o4NTaHDOeosnZFyKc6PffsedCZ8fqnFnk6Zw12Kles97z2iVDZbVohbE1oqdut3vyyYcFsJLj_zwTgpoYlw/s1600-h/DSC00138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqnmhTpczgWvObbMs5HORlDdhn-_WWAN7iBCU1vsmqevEvysPwkwBiOK-o4NTaHDOeosnZFyKc6PffsedCZ8fqnFnk6Zw12Kles97z2iVDZbVohbE1oqdut3vyyYcFsJLj_zwTgpoYlw/s320/DSC00138.JPG" /></a></div>A group of friends and I rented a passenger van on the morning of March 7th, decorated the car with a couple of Iraqi flags, and left Austin to go to the voting station. The ride wasn’t boring, we had a heated discussion about the candidates and why each of us would vote for them. Despite our disagreements, we had one thing in common; the pride in our country to undergo such a change in political system while staying strong, and the courage of our fellow Iraqis to go cast their ballots into the voting boxes. What my fellow Iraqis inside the country did was incredible and one of a kind. They challenged the terrorists and disregarded their attacks and marched their way into the voting stations. <br />
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After being lost for a longer than half an hour and mistakenly driving towards the gates of the local FBI building (in a white van with Iraqi flags stuck on the windows), we found the in-the-middle-of-no-where Crossroads Hotel, the Iraqi voting station in Texas. We rushed our way into the building to be shocked with a line of people that reminded us of the lines people would form waiting in government offices back home, “Just like back there,” said my friend. I nodded in agreement. The line was a little chaotic and as a result, we lost our spot in it to a couple of families. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbeWWkIa2Kog6AG90Rmng2KuNWv5N7mdql_FbfTjU9PzzDZecUs1VBsA8zS4_dQmWQs31n77LC1nJixK-ch5u0P5zhgjtmC0Y6T2blNZKZxa9oeTv2ElzTxGplzwUNuAxqf9L_ZNhsMys/s1600-h/DSC00139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbeWWkIa2Kog6AG90Rmng2KuNWv5N7mdql_FbfTjU9PzzDZecUs1VBsA8zS4_dQmWQs31n77LC1nJixK-ch5u0P5zhgjtmC0Y6T2blNZKZxa9oeTv2ElzTxGplzwUNuAxqf9L_ZNhsMys/s320/DSC00139.JPG" /></a></div>While standing in the line, Iraqi IIHEC personnel approached us and started talking to us. “How did you get the job?” I asked, “I work for the parties.” He retorted, with a mischievous smile on his face. He had a leather jacket that went all the way to his knees, just like one of the kinds they make back home, and had a goatee of which you would see on a typical Iraqi bureaucrat’s face. He was not surprised to learn that we drove for three hours, “Some people drove from Nashville, ten hours away” he told us. He also said that a few party members intruded and asked certain voters to vote a certain way, “but they weren’t successful, and it has been going smoothly since Friday,” he said.<br />
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For the first time in my life, I felt as if I was – even if little – in control of my own destiny. I had a say in the political process, though it was more symbolic. I chose to declare my support for a political party, ideology, and candidate and I did it in a peaceful and civil manner. Though we voted for different candidates, we were all happy we had the opportunity to participate.<br />
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After a bad meal at a chain Middle Eastern restaurant, we drove back to Austin. Of course, we spent a big portion of our time discussing the elections. We took pictures of the whole trip and especially of us in the voting station. When I got home around midnight, I couldn’t sleep for quite some time, I was thinking of how proud I am to be part of the process while staring at my purple-inked index finger.<br />
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</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhia1kX1HOHjHdkjVvOoRH_5E8o6zr-wOIafcBJgVTUBKaxx_N3HXllTjnmdEQR2Wmr3AkCrTqsUoq32NKvckXWce2_M6jsk6QdHdlTFckg4UUPgNlrNdgcAKao3f4ngtRK_lzwel6DIH8/s1600-h/DSC00144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhia1kX1HOHjHdkjVvOoRH_5E8o6zr-wOIafcBJgVTUBKaxx_N3HXllTjnmdEQR2Wmr3AkCrTqsUoq32NKvckXWce2_M6jsk6QdHdlTFckg4UUPgNlrNdgcAKao3f4ngtRK_lzwel6DIH8/s400/DSC00144.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1Wl03KMyePyJcL8TryZjpUGRGi050rZQFp6vZaAuvqheXoGIbT21-fXxZCWWjZaE_FieUfJAktRMxccK56smNuvmLKH0iPkA6ApucrgOzeEzVm9v5GfXkxqDB9p_I7e36nOKuAVlxMs/s1600-h/DSC00150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1Wl03KMyePyJcL8TryZjpUGRGi050rZQFp6vZaAuvqheXoGIbT21-fXxZCWWjZaE_FieUfJAktRMxccK56smNuvmLKH0iPkA6ApucrgOzeEzVm9v5GfXkxqDB9p_I7e36nOKuAVlxMs/s400/DSC00150.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXlEKiSYtFNTMPZtp_Ue3jLVVS-64uMx6BjViGiYA_VxOnC5v638L2ObjfJSBHr6cnrQq8Z9S-89Ab8Q0c-RtaaQiG_pf0x2PGy7_gjggZtp6QdOXmRRIDbtOAkUIolMdbORQpBbvEIY/s1600-h/DSC00127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXlEKiSYtFNTMPZtp_Ue3jLVVS-64uMx6BjViGiYA_VxOnC5v638L2ObjfJSBHr6cnrQq8Z9S-89Ab8Q0c-RtaaQiG_pf0x2PGy7_gjggZtp6QdOXmRRIDbtOAkUIolMdbORQpBbvEIY/s400/DSC00127.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-27224139381714716642010-03-04T07:16:00.000-08:002010-03-04T07:35:53.041-08:00Iraq's Democracy: Signs of ConsolidationBy: Ali Rawaf<br />
As the elections approach, I am just more and more amazed at what has become of Iraq. Don't get me wrong, we don't have a complete democracy yet but it is consolidating. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaWnurqOYqcM7wz6HkalITMqVN02N2COMWP3THft_XStWpgitLIKDY6OwQMeaoOYU8ghQWFnTcdZfOdV4eMeZaxPeieuD26QAS01q8TfJj4a_pmp-i6UAmzm-Nnwjfp4MmT08shj2Nig/s1600-h/97400446%5B2%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaWnurqOYqcM7wz6HkalITMqVN02N2COMWP3THft_XStWpgitLIKDY6OwQMeaoOYU8ghQWFnTcdZfOdV4eMeZaxPeieuD26QAS01q8TfJj4a_pmp-i6UAmzm-Nnwjfp4MmT08shj2Nig/s320/97400446%5B2%5D.jpg" /></a></div>If you have been following, parties are really competeing for people's votes. Though it is an old method of campaigning, Baghdad's streets are full of posters of candidates. The Iraqi TV and other Arab channels are playing campaign advertisements over and over. What is most interesting is how the society have really utilized technology in politics. Social media networks such as Facebook or Twitter are full of Iraqi politicians that keep reminding people to go and cast out their votes like this facebook status update from the Al-Iraqiya List Chairman, Ayad Allawi's Facebok page, "We urge all Iraqis to vote, every vote is a vital step on the road to real change and a brighter future for Iraq."<br />
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In retrospect, Iraqis, when asked about for which candidate they are going to vote, they used to have a ready answer that would pertain to basis of religiosity and sectariansim. When asked Al-Jazeera correspondednt, "For which candidate are you going to vote?" The Iraqi interviewee retorted, "I don't know yet, there are many of them." <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNKCcZmjlX4">Watch the video here</a><br />
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Reprots state that the majority of Iraqis will vote this time as a apposed to last election round, where mostly Shiites and Kurds voted. This will of the Iraqi people to further and advance this democratic political process reveals how the country ha left behind ethnic division and sectarian violence in addition to their strong apposition to the terrorist groups in the country.<br />
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I hope that if there is one thing this election can show the world, it would be how determined and desperate people we are to have a states that respects rights, freedoms, and democracy.Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-56249942896710964742010-01-28T09:34:00.000-08:002010-01-28T09:37:25.920-08:00Persecution ≠ Compensation (Response to a Kurd's lawsuit of Iraq)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWjYJS8G_9UbROZfLldvJ3_47dciorqWQbtKKSiq-LLQMFvisVDq3sOs1uugCVctfYYXONJaCEA_Vsq3_eXehl08XMOFWZJsFCeRP3kQhrRqHnDrL0yu3RWglgcwC3VFBIrxX0VQcxN4/s1600-h/anfal%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" mt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWjYJS8G_9UbROZfLldvJ3_47dciorqWQbtKKSiq-LLQMFvisVDq3sOs1uugCVctfYYXONJaCEA_Vsq3_eXehl08XMOFWZJsFCeRP3kQhrRqHnDrL0yu3RWglgcwC3VFBIrxX0VQcxN4/s320/anfal%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>By: Ali Rawaf<br />
If you have any previous blog post of mine about Kurdistan, you would've seen that I am a supporter of the Kurdish cause, you know, uniting their torn nation under one state unit. I also acknowledge that Arabs haven't been the friendliest to Kurds in the past few decades but I don't support anything that is irrational, illogical, or anything that would appear as boldly illegitimate. <br />
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Today, titled one of my article roundup that I read about Iraq, "<a href="http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/01/28/24135.htm">Kurdish Genocide Survivor Sues Iraq</a>." As I read through the article, it kept getting gradually offensive. <br />
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A Kurdish man, Taimour Ahmed claims that the State of Iraq (and the United States, since they supported Saddam Hussein with funds and some equipment) should compensate him for an organized mass murder of "Anfal." He is asking for 20 million dollars for every single one of the 10 family members he lost. <br />
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Don't get me wrong, I sympathize with Ahmed. I am sad that he had to experience extraordinary imprisonment situation but here is where I think the problem in this case lies: If Iraq was to compensate Mr. Ahmed, shouldn’t Iraq compensate the victims and their families of all of Saddam’s genocide, mass murders, and wars?<br />
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In addition, the person who was responsible for and lead these attack, was just executed a couple of days ago to after being convicted of several counts genocide. <br />
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If Iraq allows such claims to prevail, we will be hailed with hundreds of thousands of people who will want to do the same thing. Mr. Ahmed wasn’t the only person who was persecuted along with his family in Iraq, we all were and many of us continue to be persecuted under different conditions and situations as we see what happens in post-war-Iraq. <br />
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Mr. Ahmed wasn’t the only one who was persecuted, therefore he shouldn’t be the only one compensated. In fact, I don’t think anyone (except for those whose physical properties were damaged, demolished, or confiscated by the Iraqi government) should be compensated because they were executed in the State of Iraq under a different regime and era. Iraq cannot afford and will not afford to compensate the formerly persecuted one, including me.Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479134143931559505.post-861758284455308692010-01-25T08:26:00.000-08:002010-01-25T08:26:30.986-08:00Kurdish Ali and Chemical Ali<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6668nTVV0exH5QB9tcxam5h9q8OABi8rhQWyrut1jVuzXWW8EHdZ4jjNw7Vy6998y5YfJSzXtVb6-cnuPETbZd-oBidy7NTx8mZ6U8hCAhQgbRCH7GQJSc3t-VWwxKy1nP9-B5lIY3M/s1600-h/3f47cc42-7706-4637-a030-56d181b5fd19.hmedium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6668nTVV0exH5QB9tcxam5h9q8OABi8rhQWyrut1jVuzXWW8EHdZ4jjNw7Vy6998y5YfJSzXtVb6-cnuPETbZd-oBidy7NTx8mZ6U8hCAhQgbRCH7GQJSc3t-VWwxKy1nP9-B5lIY3M/s320/3f47cc42-7706-4637-a030-56d181b5fd19.hmedium.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>By: Ali Rawaf <br />
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In 1988, the whole city of Halabja was bombed with chemicals by the Iraqi government. It is in that time that Ali Pour was an infant and was taken by a group of Iranian soldiers to a hospital in Iran and was treated. Later, he was adopted by a sister of one of the soldiers who took him. A little over a month ago, he was awaiting a DNA test to see if the person he was told is his mother is actually his. The DNA proved that the female who appears to the right side of the picture gave birth to Ali 21 years ago. For two decades, Ali was away from his real family. For two decades, his mother thought she had lost her child. For two decades, Ali’s mother wanted to see the person who gassed her town and killed her husband along with most of her children pay for what had been done to her family. <br />
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Today, the person responsible for the shameful act of gassing the city received his sentence. After several trials, Chemical Ali was executed today for being convicted of 13 counts of genocide. Before 2003, neither of Ali and his mother thought they would see this day. Many Iraqis never thought they would. But it happened. I hope, if this can prove to us anything, it will show us that there is an end to anything and anyone, even tyrants and mass murderers. But I also hope that this will mark a day that we also forget the past and its misery and look forward to building and serving a country that has suffered from criminals like “Chemical Ali” and worse.Ali Rawaf (The Iraqi Future)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06297216897145231706noreply@blogger.com0