16 Nov 2010 21:51:23 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Says still unsure if Iraqiya's Allawi will join government
* Most Iraqiya leaders "assure" him they will join
* Allawi says doubts if coherent govt can be formed
* Says government will not last long
By John Irish
PARIS, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said on Tuesday a power-sharing government agreed after months of wrangling would be set up and the violence that has plagued the country would end.
But Iyad Allawi, leader of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc that is a key participant, said in London that the new government was not a true power-sharing arrangement and would not last long.
Their differing views on the prospects for the new government reflected the problems that have dogged talks between Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds since elections in March, amid fears of renewed sectarian violence if negotiations broke down.
Talabani said it was not clear whether Allawi, who said last week that power-sharing between the three communities was "dead", would join the new administration.
"We have nominated him to be chief of the national policy council ... It's a very important position, but I don't know about him (joining)," Talabani told Reuters after a meeting with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou in Paris.
Talabani, a Kurd, said Iraqiya's leadership had now "assured" him it would participate in the political process. "It will happen and the violence will end," he predicted.
Allawi, interviewed in London, said he did not expect the accord to lead to a stable government because it would not be the power-sharing administration it had been portrayed as.
"The formula for power sharing has been distorted and the issue of devolution has been distorted so I am not sure whether a coherent government (can be formed)," he told Reuters.
"Still we have some time to discuss issues and to see if this will happen or not," he added. Asked if the government could last long, he replied "No".
OIL
He said he would not join a new cabinet. "I am not going to be part, in any case, of the council of ministers. It is not currently suggested or offered or the Iraqiya list want me to be a member".
He said he had not decided whether to accept the new senior role offered to him.
Allawi played down the walkout from parliament by members of his bloc last week, saying the disagreements behind it had been settled.
Allawi, who said he was in London for his daughter's wedding, added that he would not return to Baghdad for the opening of parliament on Nov. 21.
Iraq needs a stable government to rebuild infrastructure and exploit its vast oil wealth while violence ebbs, seven years after the U.S.-led invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.
Under the power-sharing deal, politicians divided the three top posts -- prime minister, president and speaker of parliament -- among the main ethnic and sectarian political blocs.
Talibani, asked if the Kurds had cut a deal to join the government by possibly gaining the oil ministry or sealing an agreement on oil exports from the Kurdish region, reiterated that Iraq's oil was a national resource. (Additional reporting by Tom Bergin in London and Sunaina Karkarey, editing by Tim Pearce)
Bandar Bin Sultan & Hosni Mubarak Told Bush to invdae Iraq!!!
According to Colin Powell, he arrived at Camp David on September 12, 2001 from Latin America to find Jewish Paul Wolfowitz calling for the invasion of Iraq blaming Saddam for the attack of 9/11. Crafty Bush wanted to exonerate the Jewsih lobby and blame Arabs for Amercan march on Baghdad to Israeli drums. The following is from foreignpolicy.com of November 12, 2010:
In his new book, George W. Bush writes that he was under pressure not just from hawks in the United States to invade Iraq, but from Arab statesmen as well.
In a revealing passage, Bush writes that President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt "told Tommy Franks that Iraq had biological weapons and was certain to use them on [American] troops," a VOA article highlights. Bush goes on to say that Mubarak "refused to make the allegation in public for fear of inciting the Arab street."
Additionally, Saudi Arabia's Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who served as the influential Saudi ambassador to the United States for over 20 years and who Bush calls "a friend of mine since dad's presidency" also wanted a "decision" to be made -- although this seems less direct an indictment than "Iraq has biological weapons and will use them against you."
So while the Arab street was firmly opposed to American intervention in Iraq, Arab heads of states were quietly and secretly either encouraging or tacitly endorsing allegations that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, a fact that was directly being used as the principal justification for invading the country.
Adnan Darwash, Iraq Occupation Times
Sunni-backed party says it will be part of Iraq govt
13 Nov 2010 14:37:22 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Iraqiya leader tells CNN "power-sharing is dead"
* Allawi flies to London for family engagements
(Updates with parliament, recasts)
By Waleed Ibrahim and Rania El Gamal
BAGHDAD, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Iraq's Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc told parliament on Saturday it would remain in a Shi'ite-led government, despite a walkout and angry comments from its leader that threatened to damage the long-sought accord.
Iraqiya's leader, former prime minister Iyad Allawi, skipped the parliamentary session and headed to London for family engagements after telling CNN in an interview that power-sharing between Iraq's Shi'ite, Kurdish and Sunni factions was "dead."
Allawi and most of Iraqiya's lawmakers walked out of parliament on Thursday in a protest that showed the fragility of a deal reached this week between the fractious political blocs to give Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki a second term.
That agreement ended an eight-month impasse after an inconclusive March 7 election in which Allawi's cross-sectarian alliance, supported heavily by minority Sunnis, won two more seats than Maliki's mainly Shi'ite bloc but no majority.
"There was a misunderstanding that happened between the political blocs," Iraqiya spokesman Haidar al-Mulla told a session of parliament on Saturday. "All blocs are going ahead in executing all the agreements. We confirm that Iraqiya will be part of a national partnership government."
The announcement eased concerns that the deal -- reached after months of rancorous bargaining which had heightened fears of renewed sectarian violence -- might fall apart, but left Allawi's position unclear.
"We think the concept of power-sharing is dead now," Allawi told CNN in an interview. "It's finished."
Asked how the end of a power-sharing deal might affect a future government, he said: "For Iraq, there will be tensions and violence, probably."
Allawi headed to London to be with his family, Iraqiya officials said. Some Iraqiya lawmakers said they were surprised he had departed and that he had not told them he was going.
Other Iraqiya lawmakers said Allawi's harsh rhetoric was meant to pressure Maliki into keeping his promises.
SEEKING STABLE GOVERNMENT
Maliki has enough support from Shi'ite and Kurdish parties, and from a few dozen Sunni lawmakers, to rule without Iraqiya.
But Washington and Arab countries are keen to ensure the Sunni-supported bloc is represented, otherwise Sunni anger might reinvigorate a weakened but still lethal insurgency.
Iraq needs a stable government to rebuild infrastructure and exploit its vast oil wealth as violence ebbs, seven years after the U.S.-led invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.
Under the deal reached three days ago, politicians divided up the three top posts along ethnosectarian lines.
Lawmakers elected Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni Arab leader of Iraqiya, as speaker, and reappointed Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, as president. Maliki, a Shi'ite, was nominated as prime minister, and has 30 days to form a cabinet. Allawi was made head of a yet-to-be-created policy council.
But Thursday's show of unity, which had arch-rivals Maliki and Allawi smiling side by side in parliament, quickly unravelled when two-thirds of Iraqiya's lawmakers walked out.
Allawi told CNN he was thinking of forming a parliamentary opposition rather than taking part in the government.
"I will not be a part of this theatre," he said. "This is a new dictatorship that is happening in Iraq."
Asked if he was concerned about inflammatory rhetoric stirring violence as the government was formed, General Lloyd Austin, commander of the nearly 50,000 American troops still in Iraq, said everyone was entitled to free speech.
"There is always that possibility, and are we concerned about it? We remain concerned about it, not only during this time but at any point in time throughout the year," Austin said. "Certainly things are a little bit more sensitive during this time period."
Kadhim al-Shimari, an Iraqiya lawmaker who had previously vowed to back Maliki with or without Allawi's consent, said he believed Allawi had said he would join the government only after coming under pressure from other Iraqiya leaders.
"He thinks he can't have a real role in the National Council for Strategic Policies in a way that goes with what the Iraqi people want,"he said. (Additional reporting by Khalid al-Ansary and Suadad al-Salhy; writing by Jim Loney; editing by Michael Christie, Tim Pearce)
==============
Iraq's Allawi: power-sharing deal "is dead"
13 Nov 2010 10:55:38 GMT
Source: Reuters
* "Power-sharing is dead now," Allawi says
* Other Iraqiya members say bloc will stay in government
By Khalid al-Ansary
BAGHDAD, Nov 13 (Reuters) - The head of Iraq's main Sunni-backed political group has pronounced a new power-sharing deal "dead" and predicted more violence, just days after the accord aiming to end political infighting was reached.
Former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's Iraqiya was the final big group to agree to join a coalition this week in an accord that gave Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki a second term.
But two thirds of Iraqiya members walked out of parliament on Thursday saying a deal between blocs was being violated.
Allawi said some Iraqiya members might join the government, but the "main bulk" of them, including himself, would stay out.
"We think the concept of power-sharing is dead now," Allawi told CNN in an interview. "It's finished."
Asked how the end of a power-sharing deal might affect a future government, he said, "For Iraq, there will be tensions and violence, probably."
However, other Iraqiya figures said on Saturday the party still planned to join the government, and one called the walkout from parliament a "misunderstanding".
Iraqiya's shifting position heightens concerns about the future of the government deal, which ended eight months of rancorous bargaining among Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish factions.
Maliki has enough support from Shi'ite and Kurdish parties to rule without Iraqiya, but Washington and Iraq's Sunni Arab neighbours are anxious to ensure that the Sunni-supported bloc is also represented.
Iraq needs a stable government to rebuild infrastructure and exploit its vast oil wealth while violence ebbs seven years after the U.S.-led invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.
Under the power-sharing deal reached three days ago, politicians divided the three top posts -- prime minister, president and speaker of parliament -- among the main ethic and sectarian political blocs.
Lawmakers elected Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni leader of Iraqiya, as speaker, and reappointed Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, as president. Talabani then nominated Maliki as prime minister. Allawi was made head of a yet-to-be-created policy council.
But the show of unity, which had arch-rivals Maliki and Allawi sitting side-by-side in parliament, quickly unravelled when about two-thirds of Iraqiya's lawmakers walked out.
Allawi told CNN he was thinking of forming a parliamentary opposition rather than taking part in the government.
"I will not be a part of this theatre," he said. "This is a new dictatorship that is happening in Iraq."
Other Iraqiya leaders and members, however, said the bloc had not reversed its decision to join the government.
"Iraqiya will take part in the government," said Mustafa al-Hiti, a senior member of Iraqiya.
Jaber al-Jaberi, an Iraqiya lawmaker, called the walkout from parliament a "misunderstanding."
"The intention of Iraqiya is not to boycott the political process and this is the decision of the Iraqiya leadership," Jaberi said. The party could still boycott the government if Maliki does not fully implement the agreement, he added.
Iraqiya lawmaker Talal al-Zubaie said Iraqiya would take part in a session of parliament scheduled for Saturday. He called Allawi's comments "a surprising thing for me".
"Iraqiya will take part and be part of the government."
(Additional reporting by Waleed Ibrahim; Writing by Jim Loney; Editing by Peter Graff)
==========
Maliki, Talibani in after Iraqiya walk-outs
Inclusive government may have fallen apart before it touched a piece of legislation.
Iraq's parliament, meeting Nov. 12, 2010, for the second time since the March 7 elections. Jalal Talbani was re-elected president, and selected Nouri al-Maliki to become prime minister again, after the Iraqiya bloc led by former prime minister Ayad Allawi, walked out in protest. (BEN LANDO/Iraq Oil Report)
By Ben Lando of Iraq Oil Report
Published November 12, 2010
BAGHDAD - Iraqi Parliamentarians entered the chamber with a freshly negotiated power-sharing deal and concluded, in accordance with that agreement, by re-electing Jalal Talabani as the president, who then named Nouri al-Maliki to a second term as prime minister. But between those auspicious bookends the Sunni-backed Iraqiya party walked out, amidst allegations that they were being double-crossed by Maliki on a key side agreement.
The dramatic protest Thursday exposed the fragility of the new political compromise, and underscored the long work yet to be done before Iraq can have a functioning government.
In the eight months since the national election, Iraq’s leaders have been stuck in political deadlock. Because no party won a majority of Parliament’s 325 seats, the formation of any government has hinged on a tumultuous process of coalition-building among various political blocks with conflicting interests and sectarian identities.
The two biggest winners in the March election were Iraqiya, with 91 seats, and State of Law, with 89. Iraqiya, which is headed by former prime minister Ayad Allawi, has argued that its plurality gives it the right to form a government. But State of Law, led by Maliki, merged with another Shiite bloc that won the third highest seats, and combined had nearly the minimum 163 seats needed to form a government.
Although Iraqiya leaders have been taking part in recent talks ahead of today’s session, they have also regularly threatened to form an opposition block or boycott the new government altogether. Many observers, both Iraqi and foreign, fear that not including Iraqiya – which is the only party with a significant Sunni constituency – would hasten a return to sectarian strife. The United States has been making a series of attempts to get Allawi to join with the other parties, including calls from President Obama to Allawi Thursday afternoon.
Early on Thursday, the major players announced they had reached an eleventh-hour power-sharing agreement. Maliki would retain the premiership, the Kurds would keep the largely ceremonial post of the presidency, and a Sunni member of Iraqiya would take a powerful but lower-profile position as speaker of Parliament. In addition, Allawi would get a consolation prize: leadership of a yet-to-be formed and non-binding policy advisory council.
That breakthrough was long overdue. An inaugural meeting of Parliament in June was suspended after 20 minutes, as Iraq’s new leaders professed themselves unready to negotiate the formation of a new government. They were soon given a deadline by Iraq’s high court, however, which mandated Thursday’s follow-up assembly.
The session started at 7 p.m., nine hours after it was originally scheduled to begin, as 270 MPs, along with their aides and security personnel filed into Parliament’s massive auditorium, while journalists and observers watched from a balcony above. In an initial show of solidarity, Maliki and Allawi took seats beside each other in the front row.
The first order of business was to elect a speaker of Parliament. Per the newly minted agreement, Usama al-Nujaifi, a top Sunni Iraqiya leader, won the post. Qusay al-Suhail, a Shiite Sadrist from Basra, was elected first deputy, and Kurdistan Alliance’s Arif Tayfur became second deputy.
The process was going according to plan, yet key party leaders were arguing in the back of Parliament.
Aside from gaining a portion of the key posts, Allawi had gotten Maliki and Barzani to sign onto a list of demands. One was to reform and eventually end the purging of former Baath Party members from the government – a process which many have complained has been used as a political tool to marginalize Sunnis. Another was to grant real legislative authority to the prospective National Council for Higher Policies, the advisory body which Allawi was to lead.
According to the fledgling power-sharing compromise, the new government had 30 days to meet these demands or Iraqiya would withdraw. But that timetable was rapidly accelerating, as the politicians began shouting. Iraqiya wanted Parliament to vote on their list of demands as a way of formalizing its commitment to meet them, before the selection of a president and prime minister.
As the new speaker, Iraqiya’s own Nujaifi was leading the proceedings when the majority of members voted to instead move on to the presidency selection. At that point, Iraqiya’s members walked out of the hall in protest. Outside the hall, the jilted MPs said Maliki had reneged on his promises by failing to support their requested vote. Nujaifi initially balked, saying that as the new speaker his primary allegiance was to the Parliament rather than Iraqiya. He eventually joined the walk-out, but later returned to the proceedings.
All of a sudden, an appeals court justice, Hussein Ahmed Hashim al-Musawi, had taken the stage. It’s not required that one be a member of parliament to be named president or a minister, and Musawi announced he was challenging Talabani for the job.
The commotion eventually subsided, though. Talabani won with unanimous votes and, shortly before midnight, the re-elected president named Maliki to form the government. Shortly thereafter, the Peshmerga guarding Talabani’s palace marked the occasion with celebratory gunfire.
The next session is scheduled for Saturday morning, and Parliamentarians will be hard-pressed to meet the high expectations that each political faction has taken from the negotiations.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the leadership of the
Oil Ministry, Foreign Ministry and Finance Ministry positions would be split among the biggest blocks, while the other two so-called “sovereign ministries” – Defense and Interior – would be led by independent, non-political people.
Among the sovereign ministries, Oil appears to be the biggest prize, with all three blocks angling for it. The current oil minister, Hussain al-Shahristani, is part of Maliki’s State of Law coalition.
“Of course we are thinking of the Oil Ministry,” said Kamal Saidi, MP and top ally of Maliki, “But will the political agreement allow this?”
When asked if the Kurdistan Alliance will get the spot, Kurdish President Massoud Barzani said, “It’s not sure yet.”
Although the Kurdistan Alliance said shortly after the election that it would back whatever prime minister candidate the Shiite parties choose, it has also submitted its own long list of demands, which include the resolution of long-standing territorial disputes – a reconciliation mandated by Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution.
The Kurds are also seeking resolution of more than 30 oil deals signed with foreign oil companies, which they signed in defiance of Baghdad’s claims of sole authority over the oil sector.
“All the issues that were important to the KRG were accepted,” Barzani said. “Article 140, the KRG contracts, the hydrocarbons law, were all agreed to. A program and the action plan of the government will be based on that.”
Also on the docket is the National Council for Higher Policies, the policymaking entity which was to be a savior of the political process by creating an important post for Allawi and providing a potential check on Maliki’s powers as prime minister. Such a body will be more symbolic than substantive, however, unless it receives authority by an act of Parliament.
“It is not a sovereign council; it is a political council,” explained Dabbagh. “But the heads of the political blocks agreed to form this body in order to take part in making the decision.”
The council would function, said Dabbagh, by creating policies which, pending the approval of Parliament, “all the other state institutions will be committed to implement it. For example, if it is for the interest of Iraq to extend a gas pipeline from Iran through Iraq to Syria or other countries, it is part of the work of this council to decide whether to extend, for the interest of Iraq, to extend or not, according to the mechanisms.”
===========
Iraq breaks impasse; Maliki to form govt
12 Nov 2010 02:13:09 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Maliki nominated for Prime Minister
* Lawmakers elect Talabani president, Nujaifi speaker
* Partnership government could help avert future bloodshed (Adds Obama calls to Iraqi leaders)
By Suadad al-Salhy and Waleed Ibrahim
BAGHDAD, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Shi'ite Nuri al-Maliki was renominated as Iraqi prime minister on Thursday as fractious politicians ended an eight-month deadlock that raised fears of renewed sectarian warfare.
A pact on top government posts reached late on Wednesday brought together Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds in a power-sharing arrangement similar to the last Iraqi government, and could help prevent a slide back into the sectarian bloodshed that raged after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
In a sign of turbulent relations between the partners, lawmakers from the Sunni-backed Iraqiya alliance of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi walked out of the parliamentary session at which Maliki was chosen for a second term. Many Sunnis said they doubted Maliki could forge national unity.
"Today is the day of victory. The victory of the true Iraqi will," re-elected President Jalal Talabani told parliament.
Celebratory gunfire rang out in the streets of Baghdad.
In its first steps to implement the deal, parliament met for only the second time since an inconclusive March election, electing Talabani, a Kurd, as president and Iraqiya lawmaker Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni, as speaker.
Talabani then nominated Maliki to form a new government. Under Iraqi law, he has 30 days.
The new parliament got off to a rocky start which could foreshadow problems for Maliki's second term.
About two-thirds of Iraqiya's 91 lawmakers, including Allawi, walked out before the start of the vote for president, saying they were angry that agreements between alliance leaders were not being honored .
"It is obvious that they want to monopolize power," prominent Sunni politician Saleh al-Mutlaq of Iraqiya said after the walkout. "Then I congratulate them for this power."
Sunnis, dominant under Saddam Hussein, would have reacted with outrage had Iraqiya been excluded from government. Some may still feel cheated because of Maliki's return.
OPEC member Iraq, trying to rebuild its oil industry after decades of war and economic sanctions and to quell a stubborn Sunni Islamist insurgency, has been without a new government since an election on March 7 failed to produce a clear winner.
"The most important issue now is that we are out of the bottleneck," said Amer al-Fayyadh, the dean of political science at Baghdad University.
"The formation of a government is now in sight."
U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed the progress Iraq has made in forming a new "inclusive" government in calls to several Iraqi leaders in recent days, the White House said in a statement.
Obama also stressed the need for representatives from all of the winning blocs to hold leadership positions in the new national partnership government, the White House said.
SECTARIAN DIVISIONS
The distribution of the top posts along ethnic and sectarian lines was a reflection of the divisions that define Iraq after more than seven years of warfare unleashed by the U.S. invasion.
Washington formally ended combat in August but 50,000 U.S. troops remain to advise and assist the nascent army and police before a full withdrawal next year.
Overall violence has fallen sharply since the height of sectarian slaughter in 2006-2007, but killings and bombings still occur daily, followed every few weeks by a major, devastating assault by insurgents in which dozens are killed.
Allawi, who had pushed hard to displace Maliki as prime minister after Iraqiya won two seats more than Maliki's coalition in the vote, said repeatedly that Sunni anger might reinvigorate the insurgency should his alliance be sidelined.
Tension mounted as Maliki and Allawi wrestled over power. Rockets and mortars were fired at Baghdad's fortified Green Zone district of government offices in the past few days and insurgents killed dozens of people in an attack on a Catholic church and on Shi'ite areas of the capital.
Maliki's return is likely to anger Sunni hardliners, who abhor what they see as Iran's influence over Iraq's Shi'ite leaders and his Islamist background, and Sunni Islamist insurgents, who view Shi'ites as apostates.
While the deal created a job for Allawi as head of a council of strategic policies, and gave Iraqiya a controlling position in parliament, some Sunnis may still feel marginalized , as they did after the previous election in 2005.
"I won't participate in any elections in the future because Iraqiya was the winner but the premiership went to Maliki through Iranian interference. This means that sectarianism will not finish," said Ali Mahmoud, a 36-year-old teacher in the mainly Sunni town of Falluja in Iraq's western province of Anbar.
"What is the use of the parliament speaker? He is just an employee that logs the names of attendants and does nothing."
Despite political squabbles and continuing violence that has unsettled some foreign investors, global oil majors are working to crank up production in Iraq's vast oilfields.
Officials hope to raise production capacity to 12 million barrels per day from 2.5 million now, vaulting Iraq into the top echelon of world producers. (Additional reporting by Aseel Kami and Rania El Gamal; Writing by Serena Chaudhry and Jim Loney; Editing by Michael Christie and Andrew Dobbie)
========
Iraqi PM to stay on as political deadlock ends
By REBECCA SANTANA, Associated Press Rebecca Santana, Associated Press – 38 mins ago
BAGHDAD – Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will return to power for another four-year term after Iraqi lawmakers working late into the night Wednesday agreed on a tentative deal to form a new government, lawmakers said.
The deal breaks an eight-month impasse that paralyzed the government, encouraged insurgent attacks and rattled potential foreign investors. The Sunni-backed secular coalition, which had vehemently opposed al-Maliki, finally resigned itself to serving in his government along with the other main political groups.
"Finally, fortunately, it's done. It's finished. All the groups are in it," said Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman, who took part in the nearly seven hours of negotiations Wednesday following talks the previous two days.
An official in the Sunni-backed coalition, Iraqiya, also confirmed the deal. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.
The deal involves concessions to both the Kurds and to Iraqiya, which is led by former prime minister Ayad Allawi. U.S. officials have worried that a government without the backing of minority Sunnis could spell a return to sectarian warfare.
The White House welcomed the development.
"The apparent agreement to form an inclusive government is a big step forward for Iraq," said Tony Blinken, national security adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, the administration's point man for Iraq. "All along we've said the best result would be a government that reflects the results of the elections, includes all the major blocs representing Iraq's ethnic and sectarian groups, and that does not exclude or marginalize anyone."
But the return of al-Maliki to the premier's post underscores Iran's rising influence in Iraq at a time when American forces are leaving. It was Iran that engineered al-Maliki's recent endorsement by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who controls 40 seats in the new parliament. The two men, fellow Shiites, had been enemies in the past.
It was unclear what role al-Sadr and his hard-line Shiite faction might play in a new government — and whether al-Maliki's partnership with the Sadrists could derail pro-Western security and commercial policies.
One of the leaders of the Iraqiya coalition, Saleh al-Mutlaq, blamed Iran for al-Maliki's likely return to office.
"The pressure of Iran was too much," he said.
Lawmakers familiar with the negotiations described the general outlines of Wednesday's deal as follows:
Allawi's bloc will choose the parliament speaker. It was not known who that would be, but their pick was expected to be ratified when lawmakers meet Thursday for only the second time since the March 7 election.
The government will also create a new council with authority over security issues. That is intended as a concession to Allawi's coalition, which has pushed heavily for ways to reduce al-Maliki's power in exchange for offering its support.
But details apparently still need to be worked out, and it was not immediately clear that Iraqiya would end up controlling the council or that it will have real authority.
Allawi's bloc also won a concession to end the so-called de-Baathification law in two years, according to the Iraqiya official. The law regulates efforts to purge members of Saddam Hussein's former regime from government jobs. Sunnis detest the law because they consider it a thinly veiled attempt to keep them from power.
It was uncertain what role, if any, Allawi himself would play in the government. Othman said Allawi had signed off on the deal.
The Kurds, who have played the role of king-maker in Iraqi politics since the fall of Saddam, were granted their demand that President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, keep his largely ceremonial job.
Unclear, though, is whether the Kurds won any other concessions. They had wanted firm guarantees in exchange for their support, including a referendum to decide control of the oil-rich region around Kirkuk. The area lies just outside the Kurds' semiautonomous zone, but they are part of a three-way contest for influence along with ethnic Turks and central authorities in Baghdad.
The marathon negotiating session began with Iraqiya demanding the presidency but swiftly seeing their choices narrow. The Iraqiya official said the Shiites came in assured of the prime minister's post and the Kurds held firm to the presidency.
"They offered Iraqiya the speaker of the parliament and said: `Take it or leave it,' " he said. "We did not have a choice, knowing full well they will form a government with us or without us."
U.S. officials tried repeatedly to get the Kurds to give up the presidency in favor of Allawi — but to no avail, a sign of waning American influence.
Ever since the election, Iraqi lawmakers have tussled back and forth over who would lead the new government. Iraqiya was able to capitalize on widespread Sunni frustration to get 91 seats in the election, compared to 89 for al-Maliki's bloc.
But despite Iraqiya's bragging rights as the victor, it was never able to find the political partners it needed for a parliamentary majority. That paved the way for al-Maliki, who had to make peace with bitter rivals among fellow Shiites.
Al-Maliki came from political obscurity four years ago when he was chosen as a compromise candidate to lead the country at a time when Sunnis and Shiites were battling in the streets. He presided over a return to relative stability.
But his critics say he ruled with a heavy hand and grabbed too much power. His commitment to the rule of law was called into question with recent revelations of widespread abuse of prisoners by Iraqi security forces and reports that Iraqi forces ran a secret prison in Baghdad where Sunnis were allegedly tortured.
Wednesday's political deal came just hours after suspected Sunni militants took aim again at Baghdad's dwindling Christian community, setting off a dozen roadside bombs and sending terrified families into hiding behind a church where walls are still stained from blood from an attack nearly two weeks ago.
Five people were killed and 20 were wounded in the bombings and mortar attacks that targeted Christians across the city, police and hospital officials said. Iraqi Christians are already reeling after the earlier attack on a Sunday Mass service left 68 people dead, and many are now wondering whether it's time to leave their homeland.
At a house on the grounds of Our Lady of Salvation Church, Karim Patros Thomas was under no illusion that the community is under siege.
On Oct. 31, Thomas' brother-in-law bled to death on the church floor after militants stormed the building, shot congregants in the first row, held others hostage and then set off bombs when Iraqi forces came to the rescue. Then Wednesday morning, two bombs went off in quick succession outside his home.
"We are terrified," Thomas said, who sought refuge with his family Wednesday at the church. "I cannot go back to my house. They will attack again. They want to kill us."
___
Associated Press writers Barbara Surk and Yahya Barzanji in Sulaimaniyah contributed to this report.
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Nov 9, 2010, 21:30 GMT
Baghdad - Leading politicians kickstarted a second round of talks Tuesday evening to break the months-long political deadlock as five bombs went off outside the protected Green Zone.
'Great progress and great achievement was made in today's session. It shows us clearly that we are on the right track and we will reach a final agreement,' Parliamentarian Rose Nuri Shaways, of the Kurdish bloc, told reporters after the closed-door meeting.
A television station owned by the Dawa Party, which is led by incumbent Prime Minster Nuri al-Maliki, claimed that all sides agreed to his serving another term in office, but that posts of the presidency and speaker had not yet been decided.
The representatives of the major parties were meeting inside the Green Zone.
No immediate reports of injuries emerged from the five attacks, which took place in the Baghdad neighbourhoods of al-Mansour, al-Jamaa and the Amiriya district west of Baghdad.
Tuesday's meeting came just one day after all the country's major politicians held their first face-to-face talks in eight months. That meeting, which took place in the northern Kurdish city of Arbil, was described by the Kurdistan region's President Masoud Barazani as a way to 'break the psychological barrier between the leaders of the blocs.'
However, Iyad Allawi, the leader of the secular Iraqiya List that won the most seats in parliament, was not present at the follow-up meeting in Baghdad, according to sources from his party.
Representatives of Allawi's party were present, though, along with other leading politicians including al-Maliki and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.
The March 7 general elections in Iraq failed to produce a clear winner. The parties have repeatedly been unsuccessful in forming a coalition government, with tensions between the blocs running high.
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Hopes dim for Iraq govt deal as leaders stay away from talks
BAGHDAD (AFP) – Hopes for an elusive deal to form a new government a full eight months after Iraq's parliamentary election dimmed on Tuesday as key figures stayed away from all-party talks.
Former premier Iyad Allawi, whose Iraqiya party narrowly won the March 7 poll, was absent from the talks, state television reported, adding that Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, a Sunni figure close to Allawi, was also a no-show.
"Iyad Allawi and Tareq al-Hashemi were absent from the meeting although other members of their list attended," the report said.
Iraqi leaders held a first round on Monday in the Kurdish capital of Arbil, northern Iraq, but failed to agree on a proposed power-sharing accord in the runup to a meeting of parliament scheduled for Thursday.
Faced with a list of thorny outstanding issues, they gathered on Tuesday at the Baghdad residence of Massud Barzani, president of the Kurdish regional government in the north.
But another of Iraq's vice presidents, Adel Abdel Mehdi, a Shiite who is likewise opposed to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, left the meeting, delegates said.
Roz Nuri Shawis, an Iraqi deputy premier and Kurd who is close to Barzani, told a press conference that Allawi was only absent because of illness and would take part in the meetings on Wednesday.
However, an MP close to Allawi told AFP that Iraqiya's leaders stayed away because they did not want to be coerced into selecting a speaker of parliament to kick off the process of forming a new administration.
Shawis earlier outlined the remaining areas of dispute.
Quoted in Al-Sabah newspaper, he pointed to demands for constitutional amendments, reforms in the functioning of government, guarantees for the Kurds and over the future of a commission that tracks down former regime officials.
Shawis, at Barzani's request, initiated contacts with Iraq's rival camps, leading up to the three days of meetings in Arbil and Baghdad.
After the Arbil talks, Iraqi newspapers were pessimistic. "Arbil Meeting: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back," was the verdict of Ad-Dustur, an independent daily.
While Iraq's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish leaders met in Arbil, three car bombings in Iraq's mainly Shiite south killed 28 people on Monday, police and military sources said.
Maliki and his chief rival Allawi attended the Arbil meetings after a weekend agreement struck by the main Shiite bloc and a Kurdish coalition.
But their remarks on Monday indicated that neither man had backed down from their positions, prolonging a deadlock that has left Iraq without a government since the poll.
Against the background of a flare-up in violence since the end of October, Iraqiya members said their Sunni-backed party was being pressed to accept the post of parliament speaker.
The Kurds -- kingmakers by virtue of their seats in parliament -- have been shrewdly trying to extract as many concessions as possible from both sides in return for their support.
The Kurdish coalition has reportedly thrown its backing behind Maliki.
But Barzani said at the end of the first day of talks that his bloc's final position on whom it backs as president, prime minister and parliament speaker will be announced after the Baghdad meetings.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh has said that under Saturday's deal between the National Alliance, which represents the main Shiite parties, and the Kurdish coalition, Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, would continue as president.
Maliki would continue as premier while Iraqiya would choose its candidate for parliament speaker, Dabbagh said on Sunday, while parliament would meet on Thursday to choose a speaker, the first step towards forming a new government.
Iraq's second general election since the 2003 US-led invasion ended in deadlock after none of the main parties won enough of the 325 seats in parliament to form a majority government.
Parliament has since remained in hiatus, but on October 24 the supreme court ordered MPs to resume work and choose a speaker. The constitution stipulates that a speaker, president and prime minister must be elected in that order.
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Barzani brings sheep green rubbish bin on the table, brokering the sale of Iraq to block that offer more concessions on the altar of racism Kurdish parties ..!!
2010-11-08 :: محمد المعماري :: 08/11/2010:: Muhammad Architect::
Barzani brings sheep green rubbish bin on the table, brokering the sale of Iraq to block that offer more concessions on the altar of racism Kurdish parties ..!!
عدد القراء 166 Hits 166
سارع خرفان المنطقة الخضراء الى أربيل شمال العراق في ضيافة شاهنشاه زمانه وحلاّل المشاكل مسعود البرزاني رئيس أمارة أو ما يُسمى باقليم كردستان العراق.. Sheep quick Green Zone to Arbil, northern Iraq in the hospitality Shahinshah time and old problems Massoud Barzani, president of the Emirate or the so-called Kurdistan region of Iraq .. حيث إكتشف بعبقريته النادرة جدا الوصفة السحرية لتشكيل حكومة جديدة لعراقهم الجديد.. Where he discovered his genius very rare recipe to form a new government for the new Aragahm .. وإذا حالف الحظ فخامة العميل البرزاني وتمكّن من إقناع ضيوفه الغير محترمين في إخراج حكومة جديدة من بئر تفاهتهم وإنحطاطهم وإنانيتهم المفرطة فانها سوف تكون أسوء وأتعس حكومة في تاريخ الدول والبلدان على مرّ العصور والأزمان. If lucky Barzani of His Excellency the client and was able to convince his guests respectful of others in the output of a new government well and Tvahthm Inahtathm selfish and excessive, it will be the worst and saddest government in the history of the States and countries throughout the ages and times.
نعم.. Yes .. ليس بسبب أنها ستشكّل من نفس قِطع الغيار المستهلكة والصدأة والتالفة، وإنما لأنها جاءت بعد ثمانية أشهر على إجراء الانتخابات البرلمانية التي قيل أنها ديمقراطية ونزيهة وشرعية وشارك فيها ملايين العراقيين بمن فيهم الأموات والأجنّة في بطون أمّهاتهم..!! Not because they will be of the same spare parts and consumables Alsdop and damaged, but because it came eight months after the holding of parliamentary elections which was said to be democratic, fair and legitimate and in which millions of Iraqis, including the dead, and the embryos in the wombs of their mothers ..!! ولو كان لدى ساسة العراق المحتل ذرّة من الشرف والرجولة والشعور بالمسؤولية إزاء مَن يدّعون أنه إنتخبهم ومنحهم ثقته لقدّموا إستقالتهم بشكل جماعي، بل واعتذروا للجميع عبر شاشة التلفزة بدل هذا اللف والدوران والضحك على ذقون أتباعهم الذين تآكلت ذقونهم من كثرة الضحك عليها. If the politicians occupied Iraq iota of honor and chivalry and a sense of responsibility towards those who claim that elected by and give them the confidence to have tendered their resignations en masse, and even apologized for all through the TV instead of tweaking this and spin and laugh at the beards of their followers who have eroded their beards from laughing too much on them.
من المعروف إن مقاصد وغايات العميل البرزاني أكبر وأعمق مما تتصوّره عصابة المنطقة الخضراء واللاهثين وراء منصب أو مكسب أو كرسي وثير في حكومة لا تحكم ولا يعترف بها أحد غير المحتلّين الأمريكان وحلفائهم المجوس الايرانيين وبعض الحكام العرب.. It is well known that the purposes and objectives of the client Barzani greater and deeper than envisaged by the Green Zone and the gang behind Agthein position or gain or comfortable chair in the government does not control and does not recognize a non-occupiers, the Americans and their allies, Iranian Magi and some Arab rulers .. فالبرزاني يعرف جيدا من أين تؤكل الكتف لأنه تلميذ وفيّ ومخلص لعتاة الصهاينة الحاقدين على العراق وشعبه وعلى العرب جميعا.. Valborzani knows very well from the shoulder to where it is eaten in the pupil and dedication to hardcore Zionists hate Iraq and its people and all Arabs .. ومهما امتدّ بصره وتفتّحت بصيرته فانه لا يرى فيما يحيط به غير الجانب العنصري المتعلّق به، وقد صرّح قبل أيام قائلا: لا مساومات على رئاسة الجمهورية- ويقصد جمهورية المنطقة الخضراء- لأنها إستحقاق قومي ودستوري للأكراد.. No matter how extended his sight and opened his vision does not see it as surrounded by a non-racial on its side, has said a few days ago, saying: No bargaining on the Presidency - Republic of the region intended to Green - because it is a national and constitutional entitlement to the Kurds .. وهل توجد في عالم اليوم ديمقراطية ولو بالإسم والشكل فقط، يكون فيها منصب رئيس الدولة حكرا على قومية أو طائفة أو مذهب، باستثناء لبنان؟ Is there democracy in the world today, even if only by name and form, in which the head of state monopoly on the national or sect or denomination, except for Lebanon? أعطونا مثالا واحدا الله يعطيكم العاقية. Give us one example Akip God bless.
إن العميل مسعود البرازني كما أشرنا سابقا، يدرك بفطنة ونباهة التاجر والسمسار والمقامر، القيمة الشرائية لأصوات كتلته البرلمانية الكردية، فانتهز الفرصة، وهي فرصة قد لا تتكرّر أبدا، لوضع ما يملك من أصوات في سوق النخاسة أو السياسة في عراق اليوم. The client Massoud Albrzni As noted above, recognizes wisdom and smartness trader and broker and gambler, the purchasing value of the votes of his parliamentary bloc of Kurdish Vanthz opportunity, an opportunity may never be repeated, to develop what he has of the votes in the slave market or policy in Iraq today. وراح يرفع من سقف مطالبه وشروطه مدركا أن ثمة أكثر من مشترٍ وراغب ومتحمّس لدفع الثمن، ولو أدى ذلك الى تفكيك العراق جزءا بعد آخر وتمزيق شعبه الى ملل ونحل وطوائف تتقاتل فيما بينها من أجل أن يبقى مسعود البرزاني ومن هُم على شاكلته ملتصقين على كراسي السلطة.. And started to raise the ceiling of their demands and conditions of knowing that there are more of a buyer and willing and excited to pay the price, even if that leads to the dismantling of Iraq's part after another and ripping people to boredom and solve and sects are fighting among themselves in order to keep Massoud Barzani and his ilk stuck to the chairs of power. . أمّا الشعب العراقي بهمومه ومشاكله ومعاناته التي جلبوها له فهو آخر ما يُفكرون به. The Iraqi people Bhmumh problems and suffering they brought it, it's the last thing they think. بل أنه -أي الشعب العراقي- خارج حدود تفكيرهم الذي يزداد يوما بعد آخر ضيقا وإنسدادا وتحجّرا.. But that - that the Iraqi people - outside the boundaries of their thinking, which is increasing day after the last narrow and clogged and Thjra .. إنهم اليوم يلتفون حول طاولة مسعود البرزاني المستديرة كالخرفان التي تبحث عن الماء والكلأ، أي النفط والسلطة.. Today, they gather around the round table Massoud Barzani Kkhervan that are looking for water and pasture, ie, oil and power .. وسوف يدور بينهم، ربما للمرّة الخمسين أو المئة، نفس الحوار، أي حوار الطرشان الذين ينفون أنهم طرشان بل يتهمون الآخرين بالصمم والبكم والحقد على عراقهم الجديد والعداء للديمقراطية الوليدة.. Will be going on between them, probably once or fifty percent, the same dialogue, any dialogue of the deaf, who deny that they are deaf, but others accuse the deaf and dumb and Aragahm hatred and hostility to the new fledgling democracy .. ديمقراطيتهم التي لوّنت العراق، عراقنا الجميل الزاهي لا عراقهم المشوّه المفتعل، بالأحمر القاني.. Democracy that have colored the Iraq, Iraqna beautiful bright Aragahm not distorting artificial, red Alghani .. دم آلاف الشهداء والقتلى والمُصابين. The blood of thousands of martyrs and the dead and injured.
لا أحد يعلم حتى هذه اللحظة نوعية الصفقات وحجم التنازلات والثمن الذي يتوجّب على كل كتلة في عراقهم الجديد تقديمها هدية لفخامة الصهيو كردي مسعود البرزاني لقاء موافقة (سموّه الكريم) على تشكيل الحكومة (العراقية) الجديدة التي أصبحت بفضل هذه الحثالة من البشر نكتة ومهزلة لم تعد تثير إهتمام حتى المجانين والبلداء.. No one knows until the moment the quality of transactions and the size of concessions and the price that must be on each block in Aragahm new presented a gift to His Excellency the Zionist Kurd, Massoud Barzani, to meet the approval of (His Highness) to form a government (of Iraq) the new, which has become thanks to this scum of people joke and farce are no longer arouse the interest and even the crazy morons .. وسبق للبرزاني ان قال قبل يوم واحد: إن عدم مشاركة أي مكوّن سياسي في الحكومة الجديد سوف يؤدي الى عدم إستقرار العراق.. Prior to the Barzani said that, one day before: The non-participation of any political component in the new government will lead to instability in Iraq .. والحر تكفيه الاشارة..!! And free enough for reference ..!! لكن ّيبدو إن مسعود البرزاني العميل يسعى جاهدا ألا يكون وحيدا في عملية نهب وسلب ثروت وخيرات العراق وشعبه، والجارية على قدم وساق وذراع منذ اليوم الأول لاحتلال العراق وعلى أيدي نفس اللصوص المحترفين. But it appears that Massoud Barzani, the client is struggling not to be alone in the process of looting Tharwat, the goodness of Iraq and its people, and ongoing foot and leg and arm since the first day of the occupation of Iraq and by the same professional thieves. كما أن غاية مسعود وهدفه الأساسي هو أن يبقى العراق من شماله الى جنوبة تحت تصرّفه. The very Massoud and the primary objective is to keep Iraq from north to south, at his disposal. يد ممسكة بقوة الحديد والنار بشعبنا الكردي المغلوب على أمره هو الآخر في شمال الوطن، ويد أخرى تمارس على بقية العراقيين كل أنواع السمسرة والرشوة والابتزاز والتهديد والوعيد بشتى السبل والوسائل. Holding hands with an iron and fire Kurdish our people who have ordered the other is in the north of the country, another hand exerted on the rest of the Iraqis, all types of brokering, bribery, extortion, threats and intimidation in various ways and means.
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Iraqi leaders reach agreement on new government
Incumbent Nouri Maliki appears headed to a second term as prime minister after his main rival, Iyad Allawi, accepts his terms for limited power-sharing. The deal will end an eight-month impasse.
Reporting from Baghdad —
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki appeared to lock up a second term in office Wednesday after a lengthy closed-door meeting of Iraq's political elite in which foes buckled to his demands for ending a dangerous eight-month impasse and forming a new government.
It was stunning victory for the Shiite Islamist, who was plucked from obscurity four years ago to become prime minister during the worst of Iraq's sectarian violence, and a success for Iran. But it was a strategic defeat for Washington, which had pressed for a prominent role for Maliki's rival, and appeared to be caught flatfooted by the rapid developments.
Maliki has mastered Iraq's levers of power in Iraq to become a figure admired and feared by supporters and opponents alike. Wednesday's marathon meeting, which started around 4 p.m. and lasted almost seven hours, fitted the Maliki mold.
Holding fast during months of uncertainty, he wore down the opposition, who initially had refused to agree to his terms for a parliament session Thursday that would pick a speaker and a three-man presidency board, who would then nominate Maliki for a new term and authorize him to assemble his Cabinet.
Iraq has been without a new government since March elections in which Maliki's slate of candidates came in second to that of secular Shiite candidate Iyad Allawi. As politicians maneuvered for position and U.S. combat troops withdrew, the country saw violence increase and Iraqis become increasingly fearful of a return to widespread sectarian strife.
The United States had lobbied hard for Iraqiya to have a central role in the next government, and in recent days had pushed hard for Allawi to be given the post of president, according to Iraqiya and Kurdish officials.
Instead, the alliance of Maliki and the incumbent president, Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, triumphed. It creates a scenario where a Shiite religious party and a Kurdish leader hold the main posts in Baghdad, and Iraq's Sunni Arab minority is once more relegated to a secondary role, not unlike that under the polarized government Maliki took control of four years ago.
"If things actually happen as just announced, it would indeed appear to be a victory for Maliki and for Iran, which pushed this scenario forward," said Iraq expert Joost Hiltermann of the International Crisis Group think tank. "On the face of it, it looks like the new government could become a retread of the government of the past four years, with its uneven representation and multiple deficits."
Until the last moment, Allawi had vowed that his Iraqiya list would never participate in a government that did not guarantee an equal distribution of power and limit the prime minister's powers. But one member said the group became concerned about splits within its own ranks.
Allawi stunned even some of his own supporters shortly after he left Wednesday's meeting in frustration by reversing himself and accept the incumbent's terms.
Iraqiya agreed to accept the post of parliament speaker and the chair of a new government body, called the National Council for Strategic Policy, which has yet to be given any defined powers. Some observers wondered if Iraqiya might still change its mind. The alliance of Allawi, Sunnis and secular politicians is fractious, and many of its prominent figures have their own personal ambitions.
But officials from Iraqiya sounded shocked and defeated after waging an eight-month battle against Maliki over who had the right to form the next government.
"There was no choice," one Iraqiya official said, at the end of the long night. Iraqiya was expected to name its candidate for parliament speaker before the Thursday legislative session.
Maliki's supporters described deals brokered prior to Wednesday night, particularly the prime minister's alliance with anti-U.S. Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr, as a victory for Tehran, but emphasized that Maliki did not take orders from anyone.
"The Americans lost that battle to the Iranians," said Izzat Shahbandar, a Maliki supporter and advisor. "But the Iranians didn't win with Maliki."
In Washington, a State Department official declined to comment on the developments, and noted that "there are some procedural steps that need to be completed before a new government is formed."
"We've encouraged the Iraqis to have an inclusive government; we'll wait and see if this will be one," said the official, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject.
Supporters hail Maliki for rescuing his country from a civil war, while critics call him the lucky beneficiary of two developments that reduced violence: an increase in U.S. troops and a revolt against Al Qaeda in Iraq by Sunni Arabs.
Regardless, Maliki has proven himself a tenacious survivor — one with admirers who say he is the only man who can save Iraq, and critics who view him as a divisive figure. They accuse him of being motivated by a wish for his Islamic Dawa Party to stay in power no matter what the cost, and warn another four years under him could see the creation of a one-party state.
Maliki's former national security advisor, former Dawa member Mowaffak Rubaie, voiced apprehension about the
country's direction in the days before the announcement.
"I personally am worried that our whole political program is going down the drain," he said. "What did we come for? I campaigned for three things throughout my life: democracy, federalism-community rights and human rights," Rubaie said. "The Shia are enjoying our community rights but we are persecuting the other community. We are getting closer and closer to a one-party state."
Maliki's supporters had predicted his victory in the countdown to Wednesday's meeting. Sami Askari, a lawmaker and advisor to Maliki, had predicted Iraqiya would come around. "It's too late," he said. "They will join the government."
Last week, before three days of meetings hosted by another Kurdish leader, Massoud Barzani, one senior Western diplomat had said that Iraqi politicians appeared to be close to a deal after months of impasse.
Barzani has had a contentious relationship with Maliki and had wanted guarantees that there would be limits on the prime minister's power. But the diplomat observed that principles appeared to have gone by the wayside as politicians focused on their personal ambitions.
"It's become a souk now," said the diplomat. "What are you selling? What is the price?"
ned.parker@latimes.com
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Baghdad - Former Iraqi premier Iyad Allawi was a member of Saddam Hussein's Baath party until falling out with the former president and finding himself in exile in the 1970s.
As Saddam consolidated his power over the party and the country, Allawi went abroad to continue his studies in neurology, eventually defecting from the Baath while in London in 1975.
An active politician in exile, it is said that Allawi plotted to overthrow Saddam at various points in the 1980s and was nearly assassinated by Baathist for his role.
He was also a key player in creating the Iraqi National Accord, a group which aimed at a coup in the 1990s, the plan for which was uncovered by Saddam's intelligence units and the plotters inside Iraq executed.
Allawi, a secular Shiite with Arab nationalist leanings, headed Iraq's transitional government before the 2005 elections. He has since had bitter disputes with the man who has been premier since 2006, Nuri al-Maliki.
He blames the premier for failing to secure Iraq, charged there was a sectarian nature of al-Maliki's reign and has also spoken out against neighbouring Shiite-majority Iran, which he accused of meddling in Baghdad's affairs and supporting militias.
For elections held on March 7, Allawi formed the Iraqiya list, a secular nationalist group which was backed by Sunnis.
The grouping won 91 seats in parliament, making it the largest bloc, but Allawi failed to garner a coalition to enable him to regain the premiership.
Allawi was born in 1945 to a Shiite merchant family in the capital Baghdad. His father was also a politician considered an important figure in the negotiations to free Iraq from British rule.
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Five facts about Iraqi President Jalal Talabani
3 hours 43 mins ago
Reuters
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(Reuters) - Here are some facts about Jalal Talabani after Iraq's main factions agreed on the top three political posts, following an eight-month deadlock after elections. Skip related content
Related content
* Iraq agrees on new government after 8-month impasse
* Iraq breaks deadlock, PM wins support for new term
Lawmakers have said that Talabani, a Kurd, would return as president.
* Talabani was born near Arbil in northern Iraq in 1933 and became a lieutenant to Mullah Mustafa Barzani, patriarch of Iraqi Kurdish nationalism and founder of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which is now led by Barzani's son Masoud. Talabani joined the KDP at the age of 13 and by 1958 was a lawyer and an inner member of the party.
* Talabani split from the KDP in 1974 and formed the PUK in Damascus the following year. A bitter rivalry with the Barzanis followed and led to alliances with neighbouring Iran, Turkey and even Saddam Hussein. With Saddam weakened after the 1991 Gulf War, the Kurds carved out an autonomous zone in northeastern Iraq but Talabani and Barzani disputed control of a Kurdish regional government and fought a bitter civil war.
* Talabani became a key player in post-war Iraqi politics after the Kurds, who had managed to make peace, formed a powerful voting bloc in the Iraqi legislature. Talabani became Iraq's first elected president in more than 50 years in April 2005 and was selected for a second term by parliament in April 2006 as a national unity government was put together.
* Talabani's power base has been threatened by the desertion of a former lieutenant, Noshirwan Mustafa, who established the Change List, or "Goran," which made a strong showing in Kurdish elections in 2009. The top complaint of many Kurds is corruption.
* Talabani had said in April that minority Kurds could be expected to join the country's main Shi'ite blocs if they united to form the next government following inconclusive elections in March 2010. Kurdish support gave Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki the muscle he needed to persuade former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to join a new government led by him. Allawi's cross-sectarian Iraqiya alliance won the most seats in the March vote after gaining the broad backing of Iraq's Sunni minority.
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