08-11-2014, 12:51 PM
New Government Taking Shape; Kurds Fight Back Against IS; Arab League Condemns IS
NEW IRAQI PRIME MINISTER APPOINTED
So...........finally, after months of pressure from all sides, Iraqi PM Maliki is was pushed out of office and Iraqi President Fuad Masum (a Kurd) nominated Haider al-Abadi to succeed him. Some Maliki supporters are protesting and Maliki has vowed to sue the president for taking an unconstitutional action in ousting him.
![[Image: state8219.jpg]](http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2014/7/state8219.jpg)
![[Image: 12IRAQ3-master180.jpg]](http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/08/11/world/middleeast/12IRAQ3/12IRAQ3-master180.jpg)
^Iraqi President, Masum..............................................^New Iraqi Prime Minister, al-Abadi.
Hopefully, Masum and Abadi can quickly make good faith assurances that the new government will reverse Maliki policies that favor Shiites and discriminate against the Sunnis, Kurds, and other ethnic and religious minorities (without pissing off the Shiites too much). Maybe that'll encourage moderate but angry Sunnis to resist IS.
KURDS FIGHT BACK
Good news -- the US airstrikes against IS over the weekend are said to have greatly aided Kurds near Irbil. The Kurds are claiming to have regained two territories that IS conquered last week. Now, the leader of Kurdistan is asking for the US to continue providing support in the form of weapons to aid the IS resistance. He says he's not asking the US to send its people over to risk US lives for theirs, but only for non-troop support. (Btw, I agree with you about the Kurds, Mo -- they seem to be well-organized, diplomatic, business savvy, and strong overall -- from what I've read.)
ARAB LEAGUE CONDEMNS IS
With increased public exposure to IS's methods, they are being more widely condemned across the board. Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi denounced on Monday "crimes against humanity" committed by jihadists in Iraq against the minority Yazidi sect, demanding the perpetrators be brought to justice.
Arabi "strongly denounced the crimes, killings, dispossession carried out by the terrorist (IS) against civilians and minorities in Iraq that have affected Christians in Mosul and Yazidis," he said in a statement.
"These terrorist crimes amount to crimes against humanity that cannot be overlooked. The perpetrators must be held accountable and brought to international justice," the Arab League statement said.
NEW IRAQI PRIME MINISTER APPOINTED
So...........finally, after months of pressure from all sides, Iraqi PM Maliki is was pushed out of office and Iraqi President Fuad Masum (a Kurd) nominated Haider al-Abadi to succeed him. Some Maliki supporters are protesting and Maliki has vowed to sue the president for taking an unconstitutional action in ousting him.
^Iraqi President, Masum..............................................^New Iraqi Prime Minister, al-Abadi.
Hopefully, Masum and Abadi can quickly make good faith assurances that the new government will reverse Maliki policies that favor Shiites and discriminate against the Sunnis, Kurds, and other ethnic and religious minorities (without pissing off the Shiites too much). Maybe that'll encourage moderate but angry Sunnis to resist IS.
KURDS FIGHT BACK
Good news -- the US airstrikes against IS over the weekend are said to have greatly aided Kurds near Irbil. The Kurds are claiming to have regained two territories that IS conquered last week. Now, the leader of Kurdistan is asking for the US to continue providing support in the form of weapons to aid the IS resistance. He says he's not asking the US to send its people over to risk US lives for theirs, but only for non-troop support. (Btw, I agree with you about the Kurds, Mo -- they seem to be well-organized, diplomatic, business savvy, and strong overall -- from what I've read.)
ARAB LEAGUE CONDEMNS IS
With increased public exposure to IS's methods, they are being more widely condemned across the board. Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi denounced on Monday "crimes against humanity" committed by jihadists in Iraq against the minority Yazidi sect, demanding the perpetrators be brought to justice.
Arabi "strongly denounced the crimes, killings, dispossession carried out by the terrorist (IS) against civilians and minorities in Iraq that have affected Christians in Mosul and Yazidis," he said in a statement.
"These terrorist crimes amount to crimes against humanity that cannot be overlooked. The perpetrators must be held accountable and brought to international justice," the Arab League statement said.