I just felt that I should write again about the Kirkuk issue. The July 22 vote by the Parliament and the consequent Veto of the presidential council or whatever they call it was point that is worth stopping at. This is another reminder of how the political parties currently in "real" power in Iraq have sold Iraq and are now literally splitting the winnings. Iraq is a source of renewable power and income and they are not going to give it away full stop.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, back in 2005, the Shi'a and Kurds (and I'm talking about the political parties not the ordinary Iraqis forming the segments of the Iraqi society and there is a big difference) as major political forces in post-Saddam Iraq got into a strategic alliance against the Sunnis. The Shi'a (strongly backed by Iran) wanted to make sure that the Sunnis stay as weak as can be for good and the Kurds (who really don't give a rats a$$ about Iraq and are systematically working towards and independent Kurdistan) cleverly understood that and got into this alliance with the Shi'a for a price (as always) and this time it's Kirkuk, the oil capital of the North. That's why we saw the persistent efforts by the Shi'a led by the Islamic Supreme Council (Al Hakim gang) to make sure that Lirkuk goes to the Kurds as per their old arrangement.
On the other hand, the Sunnis (particularly the Islamic Party) are literally lost! they are not respected and are not treated as partners in the political process as they would like to show themselves. They just want to be part of the show but the Shi'a and Kurds keep reminding them that they are not part of the show/game. They don't know what to do! They participated in the political process under few conditions that were never met by the Shi'a-Kurdish alliance and will never be (remember the constitutional changes!). Al Hashimi and his comrades have lost their base amongst the Arab Sunnis and they know that. His absence during the debates of local elections law was not a coincidence. It was planned and I don't buy the surgery claims cause a sinus surgery is not something that you can't postpone when your country is about to be split apart. Al Hashimi just wanted to keep his relationship with his "partners" in the political process safe and the hell with Iraq. On another note, the Awakening councils are getting their ducks in a row and I expect that they will cause a lot of damage to the Islamic Party's chances in the next elections. Not that they are definitely gonna be better than the Islamic party but at least we can give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being! So Mr Al Hashimi, enjoy while it last, I don't think you'll be there after the next elections. I know I won't vote for you.
As for the recent "relative" peace and calmness that Iraq has enjoyed, I expect it will end soon. The reason is that the political parties in power now need to remind the ordinary Iraqis that they are not safe and will do anything to ensure that and that the fight has to go on to protect them from the terrorist and along the way, they will make sure that people's fear will make them vote for them again, like last time.
As for the minorities and all ordinary Iraqis from all religions and sects, God be with you. In fact, You are on your own. Just make sure you remember that upon the next elections.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
The Lives of Others
I just finished watching the movie " the Lives of Others". This was the third time I watch this German movie and every time I do, I enjoy it even more. The Lives of Others won the Oscars for the Best Foreign Movie in the year 2007 and certainly deserved the win, hands down.
The reason why I felt I would share my admiration of this particular movie with you is what happens at the end of the movie where it shows Georg Dreyman just realizing that he was actually under surveillance for years while he thought he wasn't cause he knew that had he been under domestic surveillance, he would have been put in jail years earlier. It goes on to show how the East Germans dealt with crossing from the pre- to the post-soviet era, the transition from absolute fear to absolute freedom which in many was similar to what happened in Iraq since 2003. You can't help but wonder how Iraq would look like now had we been a bit civilized and humane in the way we treated each other during the transition? and I call transition but it was not really a transition. We just replaced one tyrant with gang of tyrants and one thief with a gang of thieves. The problem is most Iraqis are still being driven by fear from each other that is implanted and nurtured by the religious/political figures currently in power. Those could not care less about Iraq and the Iraqis. They only thing that these political and religious leaders (Sunnis and Shi'a) have or will care about is power and money, no more, no less and the hell with the Iraqis. Unfortunately, Iraqis are still buying that and I'm almost sure that comes the next elections, Iraqis will vote in the same sectarian way they did last time and that is mainly owed to the ignorance and consistent brain washing that ordinary Iraqis have been exposed to. It will take generations to get rid of the sectarian divide cause there is just too many beneficiaries from this divide to go away now and these are the people in power plus the neighboring countries.
Back to the movie, one other thing that struck me is that Georg Dreyman was able to retrieve the surveillance reports and know exactly who was the individual spying on him and then track down where the spy was. The fact that the spy, Wiesler, was still alive, working as a postman and traceable surprised me cause I remembered how ALL the records of the Iraqi state were destroyed and burnt and how the "de- baathification" was quickly set up and how the army was dismantled in a haste and that all led to the mess that we have seen over the past five years. History, which is something that we Arabs and Iraqis always try to remind ourselves of, always tells us that to move forward, you have to forgive. The Germans did just that. They just turned the page and worked together for a better Germnany. They did not listen to imported religious agendas that is clearly working against the interest of their country. I think I have said enough but I couldn't help think what a great nation mean! just a food for thought.
The reason why I felt I would share my admiration of this particular movie with you is what happens at the end of the movie where it shows Georg Dreyman just realizing that he was actually under surveillance for years while he thought he wasn't cause he knew that had he been under domestic surveillance, he would have been put in jail years earlier. It goes on to show how the East Germans dealt with crossing from the pre- to the post-soviet era, the transition from absolute fear to absolute freedom which in many was similar to what happened in Iraq since 2003. You can't help but wonder how Iraq would look like now had we been a bit civilized and humane in the way we treated each other during the transition? and I call transition but it was not really a transition. We just replaced one tyrant with gang of tyrants and one thief with a gang of thieves. The problem is most Iraqis are still being driven by fear from each other that is implanted and nurtured by the religious/political figures currently in power. Those could not care less about Iraq and the Iraqis. They only thing that these political and religious leaders (Sunnis and Shi'a) have or will care about is power and money, no more, no less and the hell with the Iraqis. Unfortunately, Iraqis are still buying that and I'm almost sure that comes the next elections, Iraqis will vote in the same sectarian way they did last time and that is mainly owed to the ignorance and consistent brain washing that ordinary Iraqis have been exposed to. It will take generations to get rid of the sectarian divide cause there is just too many beneficiaries from this divide to go away now and these are the people in power plus the neighboring countries.
Back to the movie, one other thing that struck me is that Georg Dreyman was able to retrieve the surveillance reports and know exactly who was the individual spying on him and then track down where the spy was. The fact that the spy, Wiesler, was still alive, working as a postman and traceable surprised me cause I remembered how ALL the records of the Iraqi state were destroyed and burnt and how the "de- baathification" was quickly set up and how the army was dismantled in a haste and that all led to the mess that we have seen over the past five years. History, which is something that we Arabs and Iraqis always try to remind ourselves of, always tells us that to move forward, you have to forgive. The Germans did just that. They just turned the page and worked together for a better Germnany. They did not listen to imported religious agendas that is clearly working against the interest of their country. I think I have said enough but I couldn't help think what a great nation mean! just a food for thought.
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