Pachachi turns down post as Iraq President

[Dookus]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/06/01/iraq.main/index.html


BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Adnan Pachachi has turned down the post of Iraq president, an aide said Tuesday.

U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi reportedly had named Pachachi -- the candidate supported by the United States -- to the largely ceremonial post of president.

There was speculation that Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer, president of the Iraqi Governing Council, would now be named president. Al-Yawer was the candidate preferred by the governing council.

Pachachi, a former foreign minister, and al-Yawer, a civil engineer who fled Iraq in the early 1990s, are both Sunni Muslims and members of the council.

[Piperay]

1. Pachachi probably didn't

want to be seen as 'America's lapdog' and also didn't want to end up in an early grave, very smart on his part.

[JaySherman]

2. Probably saw the writing on the wall,

or his guts splattered across it like the late head of the IGC and said, "To hell with that! I'm going fishing."

[Judi Lynn]

3. I'm sure Piperay and JaySherman are right. Here's the Reuters version.

Iraqi Council Wins Tussle with U.S. Over President
Tue Jun 1, 2004 04:48 AM ET

By Lin Noueihed and Luke Baker
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi leaders got their way over U.S. opposition on Tuesday to have their candidate Ghazi Yawar appointed president after Washington's choice stepped aside, averting a showdown between occupiers and occupied.

After two days of bitter confrontation over the largely ceremonial post, Iraqi Governing Council members said Washington's preferred candidate, elder statesman Adnan Pachachi, had turned down the post minutes after being offered it by the United Nations in defiance of the Council's wishes.

A further test of strength between Washington and the U.S.-appointed Governing Council lies ahead with the imminent announcement of 26 ministers to serve in an interim cabinet until elections are held in the new year.

"Pachachi was named, then he turned it down and Yawar was named to the position instead. That's it, and everyone is happy," Council member Rajaa Habib Khuzai told Reuters.
(snip/...)

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5306997


Their, as opposed to _Bush's, choice, Ghazi Yawar

[Snazzy]

4. NYT: "a largely symbolic post"

About the same way Bushco. thinks about the US presidency.
NYT sees fit to remind us of that several times in their article:

7th graf: "Mr. Yawar's appointment happened after the first choice for the largely ceremonial position...."

15th: "The deadlock over the presidency, a largely symbolic post...."

25th: "Though the Iraqi presidency is envisioned as a mostly ceremonial job...."

------

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/01/international/middleeast/01POLI.html

Tribal Leader Accepts Iraqi Presidency as Green Zone Is Attacked
By DEXTER FILKINS and STEVEN R. WEISMAN

Published: June 1, 2004

BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 1 — Tribal leader Ghazi al-Yawar was been appointed as Iraq's first president on Tuesday after another leading candidate refused the position.

The coalition headquarters in Baghdad came under heavy mortar fire as prepartations were being made for a ceremony to mark the Mr. Yawar's appointment. Gunfire was heard inside the compound and American warplanes were called in to assist in the effort to suppress the attacks.

Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations envoy, confirmed the move in a press conference in Baghdad on Tuesday morning.

Mr. Yawar is the leader of the Shamar tribe, one of the largest groups in Iraq. He is an engineer who was educated in the United States and spent several years in exile in Saudi Arabia.

....

[Snazzy]

5. gotta love this guy (NYT Iraqi quote)

"What Bremer and Brahimi are doing is very bad," said Mahmood Othman, a Governing Council member who was excluded from the negotiations on Monday. "They don't believe in democracy."

[Judi Lynn]

6. Bremer: They're going to miss him, aren't they?

From the NY Times article from Snazzy:

The dispute highlighted the awkward relationship that has existed between the council and American authorities here. During the past year, Mr. Bremer has sometimes complained that the Iraqi leaders on the council were too passive, but the Iraqis complained that whenever they tried to assert themselves, they were blocked by Mr. Bremer.
(snip)

Dr. Raja al-Khuzai, a member of the governing council and once one of Mr. Bremer's staunchest allies, said the experience during the past several days had forced her to re-examine her loyalty to Mr. Bremer. Only Sunday, Dr. Khuzai said, Mr. Bremer told the council members that they had no right to appoint a president and that they did not speak for the Iraqi people.

"Our lives are being threatened, and two members of this council have been killed," Dr. Khuzai said. "Mr. Bremer insulted us."

The members said they gathered for a meeting Monday morning to tryto resolve the impasse over the presidency. According to several members, Mr. Bremer abruptly canceled the meeting.
(snip)

"Top of the world, Ma!"


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You may want to listen to the BBC video, "U.S. Torturer Inside Guantanamo," here:
~~~~ link ~~~~

On edit: I've been listening to the BBC video since posting this, and it's probably much more complete than you would expect to get on American tv for quite a while.

[Zhade]

8. "Gunfire was heard inside the compound..."

Are they saying gunplay took place inside the Green Zone?

If so, that's pretty serious.

[Aidoneus]

7. Adnan Pachachi sets back date of funeral

al-Yawer thrown onto the grenade for time being..

[ithacan]

9. Pachachi opposed the Bush invasion of Iraq

arguing it would destabilize the country and create chaos. He was right.

I was surprised the US put forward his name. It shows how desperate Bush is getting, though I suppose they figured an 81 year old was a safe bet.

I'm glad Pachachi will not be lending his name to the pretend sovereignty deal Bush is trying to pull.

[struggle4progress]

10. kick

:kick: