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Political Progress in Iraq - Page 3

post #101 of 103
9/5/08 at 4:45pm
Thread Starter 
The delay is finally over according to the Associated Press.

Iraqis take control of once-bloody Anbar province

Quote:
American forces on Monday handed over security responsibility to the Iraqis in a province that the U.S. once feared was lost — a sign of the stunning reversal of fortunes since local Sunnis turned against al-Qaida in Iraq.

But a Sunni Arab leader criticized the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for failing to embrace its newfound allies, underlining the threat that sectarian tensions still pose to a lasting peace.

Nevertheless, the transfer of Anbar province, the cradle of the Sunni insurgency and the birthplace of al-Qaida in Iraq, marked a dramatic milestone in America's plan to eventually hand over all 18 provinces to Iraqi control so U.S. troops can go home.
It's now time to see if the Iraqi government can handle this province.

Next month, the Iraqi government also takes over from America the payments for the "Sons of Iraq". It's a risky step, but if it works smoothly enough, it will help build up trust with the Sunnis for the Shiite-led government.
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post #102 of 103
10/3/08 at 5:17pm
Thread Starter 
I was waiting for the Provincial Elections Law to be ratified before I posted about it again, since it was vetoed last time. Today it was approved by the Iraqi Presidential Council.

Iraq presidency approves provincial election law

Quote:
Iraq's three-member presidency council on Friday approved a long-delayed provincial election law, clearing the final hurdle for polls to go ahead early next year, an official present at the meeting told AFP.

"The presidency council has adopted the provincial election law," said the official, who is a member of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party.

Talabani and Vice Presidents Adel Abdel Mahdi and Tareq al-Hashemi were all present at the meeting, which was also attended by Massud Barzani, president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.

The council's stamp of approval means Iraq can finally go ahead with the polls -- a key benchmark set by Washington for achieving national reconciliation -- which were originally scheduled for October 1.

The law is expected to empower the new provincial councils to press ahead with economic reconstruction.
It is good that democracy is working in Iraq.
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post #103 of 103
10/31/08 at 10:23pm
Thread Starter 
I think I am now confident enough in the progress of Iraq where I can vote for Obama on Tuesday and not worry that he will pull out too soon.

Two more provinces have been handed over to Iraqi Control recently.

Babil - Iraq: US forces hand over Triangle of Death

Quote:
The dramatic improvement in Iraq's security was underlined with the handover to local forces of Babil province, south of Baghdad and once at the epicentre of the insurgency when attacks against coalition forces and Iraqi civilians were daily occurrences.

In February 2005, Babil saw one of the deadliest incidents since the US-led coalition in Iraq when a suicide attack in the town of Hilla killed at least 115 men as they queued to join the new army.

That force, trained by US and British troops, will now formally take responsibility for Babil's security. Of Iraq's 18 provinces, 12 are now under the direct security control of the Baghdad government. Coalition forces no longer patrol the streets in these provinces and all routine tasks are performed by Iraqi personnel.
Wasit - 13th province handed over to Iraqi control

Quote:
KUT, Iraq (AP) - The U.S. military has handed over security responsibilities for another key Iraqi province to local authorities.

The step acknowledges the growing capability of Iraq's security forces. Wasit is the 13th of Iraq's 18 provinces to return to full Iraqi government control.

The Wasit province borders Iran and had been a stronghold of militant Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia before a crackdown this year.

At today's handover ceremony, the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq said that seven months ago Wasit saw a weekly average of up to 18 attacks. Now, he said, the area goes for weeks without an incident.
This is interesting.

Iraqi ministry adopts political neutrality

Quote:
Iraq's defense minister announced Thursday that all employees of the ministry, from the highest officials to the lowliest soldiers, would be required to remain politically neutral.

Officials in the ministry will be required to sign pledges stating that they will not run for political office, work on political campaigns, attend political demonstrations, or join any political organizations, the minister, Abdul-Kader Jassem al-Obeidi , said in a morning news conference. It was not immediately clear if soldiers and other employees would have to sign the pledge.

"The Ministry of Defense is committed to a military without party or political affiliations," Obeidi said. "The Iraqi people are soon to have provincial elections as well as elections at the district and commune levels. Military men must be nonaffiliated and must not be involved in the elections except in guarding the voter's right to freedom."
The Death toll continues to drop for US Soldiers and Iraqi Citizens.

Death toll down for U.S. troops, Iraqi civilians in October

Quote:
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. monthly troop death toll in Iraq is down by almost 50 percent so far in October, a sign of growing security gains across the nation.

There have been 13 U.S. troop deaths in Iraq, compared with 25 in September. It is the second-lowest monthly troop death toll in the war, with July the lowest at 11.

At the same time, the monthly Iraqi civilian death toll also dropped in October, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said.

Listing figures from the Interior, Health and Defense ministries, the official said 278 civilians were killed and 464 wounded this month, compared with 359 killed and 705 wounded in September.
Due to security improvements, a commuter train is now operating in the city.

Baghdad commuter rail skirts traffic, checkpoints

Quote:
Baghdad commuters have a new way to bypass the city's checkpoints and congested, dusty streets with the launch of a commuter rail that travels 15 miles through Sunni and Shiite neighborhoods in the heart of the capital.

The new service, which began Wednesday and costs the equivalent of 80 cents, comes as public irritation is mounting over traffic congestion - a result of better security but also caused by numerous police checkpoints that help stop bombers but also slow down cars and trucks.

"We have launched this train to ease congestion and traffic jams on Baghdad's streets," said Abdul-Ameer Hamoud, the director of central transport. "The arrival of a passenger by train is faster than by car to and from the center of Baghdad."
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