Chalabi Withdraws Bid to Be Next Iraqi PM

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050222/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_politics&cid=540&ncid=1480

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Ahmad Chalabi dropped his bid Tuesday to be next prime minister of Iraq (news - web sites), a decision that would make conservative interim vice president Ibrahim al-Jaafari the sole United Iraqi Alliance candidate for prime minister, a senior alliance official said.


The decision came after three days of round-the-clock negotiating by senior members of the United Iraqi Alliance, which emerged from the Jan. 30 elections with a 140-seat majority in the 275-member parliament, or National Assembly.


The office of Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, confirmed that Chalabi has withdrawn.

[hlthe2b]

1. 'Wonder what deal he worked on the side....

It can't be good, that is for sure.

[leftchick]

3. perhaps they made him an offer

he couldn't refuse?

[Jack Rabbit]

11. Like a cabinet post

Given Chalabi's past, I hope it isn't finance.

[tlcandie]

2. Hmmmm...... very strange news. EXACTLY what is going on over there? n/t

EDIT: Maybe they offered him Iran instead? :shrug:

[MaineDem]

4. Do I see the hand of the US in this decision?

Wasn't there just a story about Chalabi saying he had overcome the US opposition to his candidacy or something like that?

Makes one wonder...

[leftchick]

5. another link... Sounds like he was pushed out...

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/10961492.htm

<snip>
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Interim Iraqi Vice President Ibrahim al-Jaafari was chosen Tuesday to be his Shiite ticket's candidate for prime minister after Ahmad Chalabi dropped his bid, senior alliance officials said.

Pressure from within the ranks of the winning United Iraqi Alliance forced the withdrawal of Chalabi, a one-time Pentagon favorite, said Hussein al-Moussai from the Shiite Political Council, an umbrella group for 38 Shiite parties.

"They wanted him to withdraw. They didn't want to push the vote to a secret ballot," al-Moussawi said.

<snip>
The decision came after three days of round-the-clock negotiations by senior members of the United Iraqi Alliance, which emerged from the Jan. 30 elections with a 140-seat majority in the 275-member parliament, or National Assembly.

The office of Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, confirmed that Chalabi had withdrawn his bid to be prime minister.

[ECH1969]

9. Yes he was pushed out

Which is a good thing for Iraq

[kevinmc]

6. Instead of going through his obvious defeat

[ECH1969]

7. Something is up with Allawi and Jaafari

Adding to the intrigue, al-Jaafari made a highly publicized visit to Allawi on Monday, posing with him for photographs, calling him "brother doctor Ayad" and pledging to work with him in the future.

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/world/10957235.htm

Here is a pic of Allawi and Jaafari making out.

http://tinyurl.com/477po

[Enraged_Ape]

8. I swear, until two weeks ago, I really thought this douche was IN JAIL

Isn't this guy a traitor and a spy? Does the media really think are memories are THAT short?

[cliss]

30. Who could have guessed?

Last week's leftovers are now this week's Gourmet Dinner.

What you are seeing here are the Amateurs in Action. They really don't know what they're doing. They try some approach, then they find it doesn't work. They'll try a new approach which conflicts with the last one, and they end up changing course again, now they backtrack and try the original course to see what happense.

The bottom line is, they are always REACTIVE, as opposed to Pro-Active, and I have a feeling we are on the Pay-as-you-go Karma system. We probably have been for years.

This is how governments ruled in the Middle Ages. I see things haven't really changed that much.

Nice to read your posts again, EA:smoke: Hope everything is going well. Cliss

[KittyWampus]

10. Someone Else Won The Bid For That Job... Or Chalabi Decides To

pursue a more profitable venture.

Can you imagine how much protection that asshole would require?

[Pithy Cherub]

25. Chalabi was handicapped by the loss of his head PR hack,

Judy "the Mole" Miller. There were still neocons like Woolsey & Perle who thought they could squeeze a tad more use out of him like a Bounty paper towel.

[TomClash]

12. Family Ties

Jaafari is married to Sistani's sister.

He has also fought Saddam far longer than Chalabi or the US.

Of the people mentioned for PM he is by far the most popular.

Khameni is probably smiling in Iran, though.

[cal04]

18. and a member of The interim Iraqi Governing Council

The interim Iraqi Governing Council was the provisional government of Iraq established by the US-led multinational coalition that ousted the Saddam Hussein regime. The council, which operated in 2003 and 2004, consisted of various Iraqi political, religious, and tribal leaders who were appointed by the Coalition Provisional Authority to provide transitional leadership of the country to an eventual democratic state.

The Council's ethnic and religious breakdown included 13 Shi'ites, five Sunni Arabs, five Kurds (also Sunnis), one ethnic Turk and an Assyrian Christian. Though subject to the authority of the CPA administrator Paul Bremer, the council had several key powers of its own. Their duties included appointing representatives to the United Nations, appointing interim ministers to Iraq's vacant cabinet positions, and drafting a constitution to be later voted on by the Iraqi people.

Despite having to answer to the CPA, different factions have taken on controversial stands. Religious hardliners won a solid victory when Directive 137 was passed on December 29. Passed by the council in less than 15 minutes, it replaced Iraq's former secular family law code with Shari'a family law. This move met with wide protest among many Iraqi women fearful of how it will affect their freedom to make their own decisions about marriage, divorce, alimony, and many other issues where Iraq used to be a leader in the Arab world for women's rights. Other legislation passed by the council included declaring the day that Baghdad fell to be a national holiday, voting to establish a tribunal to try former government leaders, and banning television stations which are deemed to be supportive of the resistance.

According to the Law of Administration for the State of Iraq for the Transitional Period, the interim constitution that the Council approved, the Council would cease to function after June 30, 2004, at which point full sovereignty would return to Iraq, and the government will be handed over to a new, sovereign interim government. Instead, the council chose to dissolve itself prematurely. The presidency of Iraq rotated monthly among nine members of the council. A (p) marks those members above. (See President of Iraq.)
Ibrahim al-Jaafari (p)

http://www.answers.com/topic/iraq-interim-governing-council

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/iraq/postwar/player_3.html

[cal04]

20. No one in Baghdad ever heard of him, lives in London

interesting.

To satisfy the political and religious whims and, in particular the squabbling that threatened to tear the council apart in its first few days, Bremer suggested a rotating president every month, giving nine “elected” council members a chance at the top spot.

The first president of the IGC, Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, trained in medicine at Mosul University, does not consider Iraq to be his home. In an interview with the Associated Press last weekend, Al-Jaafari admitted that he considered London, England to be his home. A member of the formerly outlawed Al Da`awa party, Al-Jaafari had not been to Iraq in 23 years.

But what power does Al-Jaafari really have? None, say critics, because by the end of August he will be replaced. No one in Baghdad has heard of Al-Jaafari; much less cares for him. “His family live in the comforts of their London home, how could we consider him one of us,” said Bazan Al-Na`imi, an Iraqi student stranded in Canada. The IGC’s power is rather limited, according to a document released by the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority:

“It will exercise specific powers in addition to representing the interests of the Iraqi people to the Coalition Provisional Authority and the international community.” The above effectively appoints the council members as middlemen between the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and the Iraqi people. While the council can appoint interim ministers, it cannot effect major policy changes unless specifically coordinated with the CPA.

http://www.islamonline.net/English/In_Depth/Iraq_Aftermath/2003/08/article_05.shtml

[LynnTheDem]

13. I wonder who & what the blackmail was. Ahmed "Thanks, suckers" Chalabi

All the lies, all the deaths. And no PM prize.

Who's the sucker now, Chalabi!

[Benhurst]

14. It's not nice to wake up with your camel's head in your bed. NT

[shrike]

22. Yeah, I was wondering if he woke up with a horse's head in his bed

But I guess a camel would be much more appropriate -- not to mention indigenous.

[Rose Siding]

15. Weren't Chalabi and his nephew holding all the UN oil for food docs?

-documentation, I mean. Last I heard, they wouldn't share, or they somehow became unavailable after the warrent searches were done.

Maybe the completion of that investigation and the shake up at the UN ciphoned some of his juice.

Ms. I Was Effing Right not so effing right again?

[Bhaisahab]

16. Iraq: Shia pick al-Jaafari to be PM - CNN

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The United Iraqi Alliance, Iraq's main Shiite political coalition, has named Ibrahim al-Jaafari as its nominee to be the country's next prime minister, an Iraqi political official said.

The official, a member of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, said that Ahmad Chalabi, another candidate for the post, dropped out of consideration.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/02/22/iraq.main/

[necso]

17. Wow,

the Kurds won 27% of the seats. They really did get out the vote.

UIA + Allawi's Iraqi list = a few short of 2/3.

UIA + Kurdish alliance > 2/3.

Kurdish alliance + Allawi's Iraqi list > 1/3.

[NNN0LHI]

19. Chalabi will be given a job with some actual power

Ministry of oil would be my guess.

Don

[LeftHander]

21. You can't get this type of news coverage anywhere...

I love DU LBN...

when something important happens in just a mtter of minutes source of info come in from all over the place and detailed analysis and specualtion of the ramifications begin...

awesome...


Now. I wonder if Chalabi's stepping down was because the secret vote was not going to happen. I still thing that the WHite House wanted Chalabi in. They tried to make him look he had fallen out of favor with the WHit eHouse but I think that was jsut a ruse to allow him to gain popularity in Iraq.

and of course this is speculation for you asshole freeper lurkers...

But certainly a more religious leaning SHia; state was not what Bush wanted. Seems they rememebr history and rather than have another "Shah" like puppet leader tied to U.S. corporate interests they just pushed him aside and went with the people's wishes.

I need to find out more about al-jaffarri

[NNN0LHI]

23. You will know everything you need to know of al-jaffarri in the near future

Will he call for the occupation troops to leave? Or does he want them to stay? Who will be his bodyguards? Other Shiite supporters? Or will it be Blackwater Security mercenaries? Is he going to continue living inside the US fortified Green Zone? When we find out the answers to these questions we will know all we need to know about Mr. al-jaffarri I think.

Don

[LeftHander]

24. excellent point...

that really will be the info needed.

[leftchick]

27. he has already said he wants them to stay...

but that was yesterday! Things change by the minute it seems.

[Straight Shooter]

26. I would like to see Chalabi appointed as Iraq's ambassador to Jordan.

He's been too long away from Jordan. I'm just sayin' ;)

[louis-t]

28. Haaa! He would be ambassador to a one-room cell

if he ever gets within a hundred yards of the border.

[MGKrebs]

29. Chalabi was outbid.

"Mahdi also makes no secret of his desire to privatize Iraq's oil industry in ways that would benefit U.S. firms. In December, he told an audience at the National Press Club in Washington that Iraq was trying to develop "a new oil law" that would "be open to investment, to foreign investment downstream, maybe even upstream. So I think this is very promising to the American investors and to American enterprises, certainly to oil companies."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43673-2005Feb22.html

[Al-CIAda]

31. I think he wanted to spend more time with his family (sarcasm) -eom

[ECH1969]

32. I was right Allawi did make a deal with Jafari

As part of the compact, Iyad Allawi, the current U.S.-backed prime minister would be given the important post of minister of defense.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/la-022205iraq_lat.story
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And, I am also heard that the power of the minister of defense might be increased for Allawi if that is the case it will almost be that while Jafari is PM Allawi will be Commander in Chief, but without the power to personally declare war.