They've had such great teachers....
This week, Iraqi legislators were shocked when the Maliki regime
pushed a surprise vote confirming two new ministerial appointees
through the parliament. The issue had not been placed on the agenda,
as required by the body's rules, and, far worse, the vote went forward
despite the fact that parliament did not have a quorum at the time.
According to Voices of Iraq, opposition lawmakers called the vote
"illegal" and "unconstitutional." The fact that the issue was called
for a vote by Khaled Attiyah, the First Deputy Speaker, who is a
member of the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition, and that the new
ministers were slated to replace two Sadrists who had quit the cabinet
when Maliki's ruling coalition fell apart several months ago,
highlights the political rifts that are so often overshadowed by the
U.S. media's singular focus on sectarian strife.
On to special coverage. This week: an interview with Dahr Jamail, as
well as an excerpt from his new book; violent deaths in Iraq appear to
have decreased in October; Baghdad still facing power shortages; the
Neocons favorite con, Ahmed Chalabi, has re-emerged as a player in
Baghdad; Sarah Anderson continues to chronicle the adventures of war
profiteer David Brooks, whose luck may have come to an end, and much
more.
-Joshua Holland
Editor, Iraq special coverage
|
