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QUOTE FROM MCNAMARA IN 1968: “WE ARE WINNING THE WAR”.
By Qassim Abdul-Zahara
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) April 28, 2005 – The interim National Assembly approved a partial Cabinet, breaking months of deadlock and political wrangling. But disputes remained over key ministry positions and two deputy prime-minister slots.
The legislators approved a list of 27 ministers and five acting ministers, ushering in Iraq’s first elected government since the fall of Saddam Hussein. The Cabinet was approved by 180 lawmakers, out of the 185 present, in the 275-member parliament as Speaker Hajim al-Hassani announced to applause.
Prime Minister-designate Ibrahim al-Jaafari submitted a Cabinet that includes members of Iraq’s main Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish factions. But Al-Jaafari himself, a Shiite, will be acting defense minister, a position that was supposed to go to a Sunni Arab, and disputes remained over two deputy prime minister slots and the defense, oil, electricity, industry and human rights ministries.
AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed
Iraqi PM-designate Ibrahim al-Jaafari
at a news briefing in Baghdad.
Jump the fold …
Al-Jaafari has struggled to reconcile the competing demands of Iraq’s myriad factions since Jan. 30 elections. Shiite leaders rejected his initial choices for a Sunni deputy prime minister and defense minister because of suspicions they had ties to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party, which brutally repressed Iraqi’s majority Shiites and Kurds.
Al-Jaafari also faced infighting within his United Iraqi Alliance, the largest bloc in parliament, over the oil and electricity portfolios. Lawmakers earlier said the Cabinet would include 17 Shiite Arab ministers, eight Kurds, six Sunnis and a Christian. Among them are six women, responsible for seven portfolios, according to Thursday’s announcement.
President Jalal Talabani and his two vice presidents signed off on the list before Thursday’s historic vote. A handover between outgoing Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and al-Jaafari will take place within days, the incoming premier told reporters Wednesday.
“The Iraqis will find that this government has religious, ethnic, political and geographic variety, in addition to the participation of women,” he said from the steps of his office. “Now that the process has started, we will spare no effort to bring back a smile to children’s faces.”
THE MANIPULATOR
by Jane Mayer
Ahmad Chalabi pushed a tainted case for war. Can he survive the occupation?
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) – An Iraqi legislator was shot and killed by militants who stormed into her house, Iraqi police Capt. Ali al-Obeidi said.
Lamia Abed Khadouri al-Sagri, a member of the National Assembly and of outgoing premier Ayad Allawi’s Iraqi List party, was killed in her house in the Hay Aour neighborhood in eastern Baghdad.
Insurgents have targeted senior lawmakers and Iraqi politicians in a bid to further destabilize reconstruction efforts in the country.
Bush says US making ‘really good progress’ in Iraq.
WASHINGTON (AFP) – President George W. Bush said that US-led forces were making “really good progress” in Iraq but acknowledged they were still facing a stubborn insurgency run by “hard-nosed killers.”
Press conference in the East Room. “Millions of American families and small businesses are hurting because of higher gasoline prices.”
In a prime-time news conference, Bush also said Iraqi security forces were performing “much better” but again refused to speculate on a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops.
Early Friday at least 18 people were killed and more than 64 wounded in a string of at least seven car bomb attacks targeting security forces in and around Baghdad, an interior ministry official said.
Thirteen people died and 50 were wounded in four apparently coordinated car bomb attacks in two districts of the capital at about 08:00 am (0400 GMT), the official told AFP.
US forces came ‘close’ to Zarqawi capture: General Myers
WASHINGTON (AFP) – April 26, 2005 — US forces recently came close to capturing Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq, the head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said. “We were close,” General Richard Myers told a Defense Department press conference without confirming other details of media reports which said Zarqawi narrowly escaped a US operation but that American forces found his laptop computer and seized some of his money.
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Purported Zarqawi Tape Vows More Iraq Attacks – Web
DUBAI (Reuters) – A purported audio tape from Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq, has called for more suicide attacks on U.S. forces and vowed not to let President Bush enjoy “peace of mind”. The holy war, or jihad, was still being waged vigorously two years after the U.S. invasion.
It was not possible to verify the authenticity of the tape, which was posted on a Web site used by Islamist militants.
“O martyrs’ brigades, set out with God’s blessing. And do not leave a single convoy on course or a checkpoint for them to stand at. And turn their nights into day,” he said.
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CIA and BushCo have goal of chaos so their political agenda can be achieved. Iraq has always been a distraction from war on terror to conquer the oil fields and furnish contracts to Halliburton, KBR and Bechtel. They had planned flowers instead of insurgents and did not heed warnings from critical minds.
Some nice reading when you google Bechtel +CIA +McCone
Torture creates terrorists and adversaries
Proof torture creates the terrorist:
Egyptian AYMAN al-ZAWAHRI
biography & family history
People: 01-11-01 AYMAN al-ZAWAHRI
Al-Zarqawi was tortured in Jordanian cel and turns to fundamentalism.
BBC NEWS: VIDEO AND AUDIO
Gavin Hewitt profiles militant
Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi
Ayman al-Zawahri and Osama Bin Laden (AP photo)
APPENDIX –
Oui – Liberté – Egalité – Fraternité
