Iraq News
The Iraqi reconciliation conference held Saturday, I am not sure if it was a success or not. The President Talabani said he wanted reconciliation to include former Bathists with the exception of those involved in criminal acts. Talabani also demanded parties to define there respective stances on Federalism, rule of law, denounce terrorism, sectarian cleansing.
The PM Maliki wants former Iraqi Sadam army soldiers to join back up to include former Iraqi Army officers. PM Maliki on the 17 Dec announced a cabinet reshuffle that will take place with in the next four weeks. Maliki stated that all parties within the government have welcomed it.
The word in Baghdad is that Allawi is expected to take over the Deputy PM Job, with the National Accordance Front NAF having reservations about it.
A new political block has been formed and the name has not been said. The different parties unifying are United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP).
Maybe with the new party and the coming New Year the government of Iraq will accomplish more then they accomplished recently. Don’t hold your breath the firebrand cleric Al-Sadr political party still holds six cabinet posts and 26 parliament seats in the new Iraqi government.
Hopefully, the newly formed party made up of the different factions will be a hedge against Al-Sadr, and the rest of the Militia’s will just have to wait and see and I do believe time is running out for the Militia’s to disband completely. The US patience is also running thin.