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We are on the verge of an absolute chaos that will not only engulf Iraq but the whole area and maybe the whole world…it seems that really bad things are going to happen unless wise choices are made and the problem with those crisis that they are overlapping so resolving a single issue will not resolve the whole problem so I don't really know where to start!! But I'll start with the nearest thing to me.
After the government raised the salaries of the governmental employees to a reasonable salary for the first time since the 70s and the prices started skyrocketing and many Iraqis who lived in neighboring countries decided to get back after the slight improvement in security and the new salary or at least regarding sectarian violence, some people even started to see a light at the end of the tunnel and I wasn't among those, the government decided or let's say remembered that Iraqis shouldn't live as people of the world lives…something must be done to cover that light and keep them in the dark, they decided that Iraqis shouldn't be in good conditions otherwise they might raise against them and they are ready to kill their own children to keep the position they hold because there is nothing in the world that will allow them to steal such amounts of money, even if they became bank robbers in a country with no police!
They decided to lower the salary they said that we will receive it as back payments at the beginning of the next year! Although many people believed they will receive it and I believe too but I can't believe they will give it at the time they said they will because they never did that…. they gave many vague reasons for doing so, some said that it's because an order from the international money fund and some said it's because Iraq don't have money!!!!! Specially after the fall in the prices of oil, I can believe everything but I can't believe that Iraq don't have money to pay the salaries of its employees, we aren't Somalia, the prices of oil is almost the same as it was last year and the excess in the balances of the ministries were frightening numbers, so where did and does all that money goes? A very simple answer that all of us knows. till now it's OK, so what if the back payments got delayed we will get it eventually and that's when the other sides of the story were cleared…it linked to the other issue which is the security deal between Iraq and USA…if Iraq didn't sign the deal then all the money Iraq have in the foreign countries will be gone! I didn't understand why despite the efforts and searches I did for a legal reason (if anyone knows please say it in the comments) so what will happen? As the minister of finance said; if Iraq didn't sign the deal and the money Iraq owns in other countries is gone then I'll have to take hard decisions (hinting to lower the salary even more)…
So let's take the security deal issue…the politicians of what is called the "Iraqi" government are divided between the ones who wants to sign the deal and the ones who don't and on the head of the ones who don't is the prime minister N.Almaliki and his party for reasons that isn't a secret to anyone, they are loyal to Iran and do what Tahran wants, they are looking for the good and benefits of Iran before Iraq and they are claiming that they don't want it because they don't want to give the US soldiers an immunity! While everybody knows the US soldiers have immunity whether they signed it or not…they say that they want the US troops to leave Iraq so that Iraq can be free while they were the ones who called them in and ignoring the minister of defense who says that Iraq isn't ready to protect his self from the dangerous of the inside and outside and he is so right in that in my opinion, if the smallest army of the smallest country attacked Iraq how can the army protect the land? By AKs and humvees? Because that's all what we got, oh sorry we have the Chevrolet pickups too…well, some says that the security situation is a bit stable so what about the people who are in the US jails that have been captured throughout the last five years, some are innocent and some are criminals and terrorists, what will happen to them? They will be released when the US troops leaves…I can't even imagine what will happen when all those are released into the streets…so what is the real reason behind the rejection of the deal, it's because they want Iran to take over things in Iraq more than they are taking now…we will be occupied by Iran; how lovely! And sure thing Turkey will not stand still and we will be between two fires…in fact, we will be between countless fires, AQ from one side and the other Islamic fanatics, Muqtada and Jam are getting ready to seize the chance when things gets out of control and they already started demonstrating against the security deal and so many parties that I'll need so much space to mention them all. So what about the war against terrorism? Is it over? Will it ever end? They made Iraq a war zone to fight terrorism and they made Iraq an academy for terrorism and if they leave the terrorism business will be the greatest…so will US really leaves or it's just a political play and a way to apply pressure? On the other hand we have the global financial crisis and the crisis in the gulf countries accompanying the crisis of the security deal and the complications that might follow it…it seems that the world is getting into an even darker phase in the history of mankind.
P.S.: Thanks to the guys who were worried about me and asked if I was OK or not....I'm OK thank god and I'm sure I haven't posted anything for along time but that was because I kind of lost my muse in that period and I had a sever flu...thank you guys for your concern.
35 comments:
I think the really crucial thing in Iraq is the next election. If the various sectarian, religious parties win again, then the outlook is indeedc bad. Likewise if the winners are the kind of politicians who are in it to get rich, as has been the curse of Pakistan and Lebanon (and Zimbabwe).
Mohammed,
With the worsening global economic conditions the price of oil has fallen precipitously. Oil was trading at $64.15 a barrel on Friday, down from a high of $145.29 in July. If I remember correctly Iraq had based its budget on oil selling at $80 a barrel. OPEC has met and has decided to reduce output by 1.5 million barrels a day. Whether or not this will help is questionable. People have already started writing off 2009. If the world economy continues to languish in a recession, it is possible that demand for oil will drop even further. Not to sound like a pessimist, but we seem to be still early in this slowdown. So I can readily understand how Iraq is trying to tighten it's budget.
As to Iraq losing all its money that it had overseas if it didn't sign the SOFA, that's ridiculous. Another rumour spread around to scare people. Now, if you had invested in Lehman's I could understand. They have filed for bankruptcy. But if you have placed money in a reputable bank you should be fine.
Mohammed, without a SOFA things are very up in the air as to the status of US forces. Maliki has talked about going to the UN and getting an extension of that mandate. But I have no idea if that will be easily accomplished.
Really glad you're feeling better now, Mohammed. Iran has it's own problems at the moment. They can't balance their budget if oil is below $90 a barrel and of course it is now. Ahmadinejad is said to be suffering from "exhaustion." Something is up in that country. I don't know how they'd be able to occupy Iraq? Meanwhile, what I read, the Iraqi government may be stalling on the agreement over US troops until the election results here on Nov. 4th. That makes sense to me.
The global economic situation is impacting everyone. Iraq may have money, but Iraq has many many needs. I suspect the salary cut is the easy solution for the government. It of course makes life harder for workers there. Here, the unemployment rate is rising and expected to get worse. Our economy in the US could be bad for 3 years and perhaps even longer. Japan had a "lost decade" with their economy. If the people calling the shots don't get it right, we could have one of those "lost decades," too.
I have no idea what went on in Syria with the attack there reported today. I suspect we may never know. Pakistan is spiraling out of control. It's dangerous times in so many places. All any of us can do is keep on keeping on. We can try to help each other keep our spirits up in these difficult times.
I thought you were dead! Sorry about such stupid thoughts. But even more sorry about Iran taking over Iraq. Enemies for so long, now such good friends Iraq opens the door and invites Iran in. Peace with your neighbour is good, in bed with you neighbour creates trouble for sure.
And what are the Kurds up to?
Who's killing the Christians Mohammed?
[mohammed] "it linked to the other issue which is the security deal between Iraq and USA…if Iraq didn't sign the deal then all the money Iraq have in the foreign countries will be gone! I didn't understand why despite the efforts and searches I did for a legal reason (if anyone knows please say it in the comments) so what will happen? As the minister of finance said; if Iraq didn't sign the deal and the money Iraq owns in other countries is gone then I'll have to take hard decisions (hinting to lower the salary even more)…"
Let me help you; it will be my pleasure.
It's pretty simple. The "other countries" is the USA. Iraqi oil money is held in American bank accounts and has been since the start of the war.
First, Iraqi funds were deposited into US banks and called the "DFI" or Development Fund For Iraq", with the funds overseen by the Programme Review Board, an American-stacked institution. See here:
http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=592
(And let's not forget that under American oversight, billions of dollars of Iraqi funds vanished down the plughole. See here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6621523/ )
Since then many restrictions have been lifted, but the basic problem remains - Iraqi funds get transferred to US banks. Currently Iraqi funds are immune from lawsuits that American citizens won against Saddam - era Iraq, but quite conceivably that immunity would be lifted, and the debt relief for Iraq lifted, if the SOFA does not go through:
"Iranian state-run media reported Friday Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said U.S. officials threatened to seize Iraqi funds if a long-term security deal failed.[...] "Washington threatened to use any means to seize Iraqi assets if we do not support the security pact," Talabani was quoted as saying."
http://www.metimes.com/Security/2008/10/03/iraqi_funds_bargaining_chip_for_sofa/9919/
Here's another site detailing various measures the US could take:
http://www.investorsiraq.com/showthread.php?t=97195
(Note the nice Americans in the comments section! They seem to be quite excited by the prospect of Iraqis today suffering some more. So it is not some "antiwar" site spinning propaganda, as no doubt the warmongers will tell you.)
Here's more details still:
"The US is holding hostage some $50bn (£25bn) of Iraq's money in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to pressure the Iraqi government into signing an agreement seen by many Iraqis as prolonging the US occupation indefinitely [...] US negotiators are using the existence of $20bn in outstanding court judgments against Iraq in the US, to pressure their Iraqi counterparts into accepting the terms of the military deal [...] The US is able to threaten Iraq with the loss of 40 per cent of its foreign exchange reserves because Iraq's independence is still limited by the legacy of UN sanctions and restrictions imposed on Iraq since Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in the 1990s. This means that Iraq is still considered a threat to international security and stability under Chapter Seven of the UN charter. The US negotiators say the price of Iraq escaping Chapter Seven is to sign up to a new "strategic alliance" with the United States."
http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/32097
I see Lynnette is here denying everything, as always. Well, it's her word against the truth. As if a country that invaded Iraq against international law and public opinion would not take a small step like taking Iraqi money as punishment!
I understand your concerns about Iran, but for as long as the US is based in Iraq you run the risk of Iraq becoming a battlefield between the US and Iran. I don't see America stepping in to protect common Iraqis from the Iranians, anyway. They are there to protect their own big interests.
Anyway, you're back. We can stop worrying about your welfare, for the moment. Your writing style is a bit different, not sure what it is. That flu bug must have knocked the crap out of you though.
So many so called leaders in this world claim they know what's best for people. Too often, the people in question turn out to be the leader and his/her friends. Without democracy people will always align themselves with those with the biggest muscles. With democracy people can choose leaders with the most wisdom and compassion. I wish democracy for all Iraqis.
Welcome back, please find your muse.
Don cox,
You are right, let's just wish that the ones who will take charge will be the secular Iraq loving men although they are really rare and I personally wouldn't mind if they steal a little or use their position to gain more money as long as they are doing their jobs right and protecting Iraq and Iraqi and work for the best of Iraq…Iraq have so much money that politicians can steal and the people live great at the same time.
Lynette,
What you said is true if the budget was tight…I mean, there was excess in the budget even when it was 80$ and that's why I mentioned it in the post…and by the way, Iraq have so so many things that will bring him money other than oil, don't you agree?
Yes, do you know why he wants 6 months extension from the UN now? Because Iran is a bit busy now to take over all Iraq so they (Maliki and Iran) planned that Obama will win and he might withdraw the troops and at that time Iran will be ready….a possible scenario, right?
LJM,
And that's what I just said to Lynette….yes they want some time to take over Iraq and it's not necessary that Iran will literally occupy Iraq, I mean they can take over Iraq by politicians and intelligence actions, they will have politicians who will do what they want without anyone asking them why.
Well, they could try cutting the salary of the parliament and the politicians also, aren't we in a democratic country! Why does a member in the parliament who do nothing but talking takes more than 40,000$ a month while the poor soldier who stands in the streets for days and takes 1000$ in the month!
Yes, I really agree that all the world is getting into a very difficult stage and that's what I said in the post.
Steen,
No, thank god I'm alive…well, frankly I don't know about the Kurds as they are silent and not showing their intensions….and about who kills the Christians? It's a really good question with a very simple answer…they are the same ones who kills the Sunnis, the Shiites and any Iraqi…they are the cancer cells in the body of Iraq…they are the fake Iraqis….they are the same criminals with different names and may be the same leadership.
Bruno,
Thank you for clearing things up to me…I understand now the legal face of the money disappearance and sure thing it's a way to apply pressure on the "Iraqi" government to sign the deal.
California,
Thank you for worrying…well, I wouldn't mind about it too if I haven't got a baby on the way….my writing style is different! Maybe because it has been a long time since I wrote but is it better or worst? or it's OK but different? As I said I kind of lost my muse and the problem with the damn flu is that when I get better my wife gets worst and when she gets better I get worst and so on….
Thank you, I think I did and I think I know what my muse is now…it's anger from seeing bad things and bad decisions without having the power to change it…maybe that's my muse!
Glad to see you're back, Mohammed--I too was getting a bit concerned.
Keep well. All the best, Roland.
Advice for beating the flu: multivitamins and garlic. I was told to take a clove of chopped raw garlic every three - four hours when I was suffering a rather nasty bout of flu. It's disgusting, but it really seemed to do the trick for me. AND KEEP WARM! ;)
Glad you are feeling better. I understand about the loss of the muse.
Take heart and trust in God. I am sincerely hoping that your country can find a way back to normalcy soon!
Heh, Mohammed. Unlike most other Iraqi bloggers, you have the good manners to reply to our posts.
I respect you, Mohammed.
Best regards, Steen
Bruno,
Well, it's her word against the truth.
lol! No, it's my word against "leaks", Iranian news sources and politicians looking to get a better deal.
The only thing I've seen mentioned is the cut off of services on January 1 if there is no deal, which is certainly an understandable occurrence.
Mohammed,
Iraq have so so many things that will bring him money other than oil, don't you agree?
Such as?
Yes, do you know why he wants 6 months extension from the UN now?
I hadn't heard that. I did just read that the Iraqi government has sent some changes to the SOFA to our government for consideration.
Because Iran is a bit busy now to take over all Iraq...
With what?
I've read tha Ahmadinejad is suffering from exhaustion. There are questions about him running again for his job in June. With the cost of oil down, Iran is in a much more difficult position. Personally, I'm glad the worldwide consumption of oil is down and hope that remains the case. I do hope Iraq has more than oil as a base for their economy. I agree that politicians (and others) make far more money than those doing the "heavy lifting" like the soldiers in the street. I can't imagine any of them taking a pay cut. Politicians are attracted to power and money like a moth to a flame.
Glad you are feeling better Abhoiya. Not even a flu can keep a real Iraqi down. :-)
Iraq's budget crisis is real. Lower oil prices have forced major spending cuts. There are many specific examples.
Iraq was suppose to buy 50 helicopters from France for its air force. This seems to be delayed because of a lack of funding. This is one reason that it is taking the Iraqi Air Force so long to stand up (the Iraqi government is refusing to buy air planes for them.)
Another example is that the GoI (Government of Iraq) has delayed paying for 140 M1A1 tanks from the US. This is delaying standing up the Iraqi Army.
There are many similar examples. Abhoiya, it isn't just Iraq . . . the whole world is suffering and being forced to slash spending. We are in the middle of the greatest global financial crisis since 1931.
Iran is suffering greatly. More than even Iraq. The Iranian people have an opportunity to overthrow Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Khamenei. I hope that this causes Iran to treat Iraq better.
But crisis or no crisis, remember that you . . . dear Dr. Mohammed . . . have many friends and well wishers rooting for you and all Iraqis. Inshallah, Iraq shall achieve greater heights than ever before.
Dr. Mohammed, the Iraqi Central bank has the right to invest the Iraqi monetary base however it chooses (lending it to Iraqis, to foreigners in any currency.) The idea that anyone could seize these assets is bizarre.
In addition to Iraq's foreign reserves, Iraq has a national surplus fund where it saves its budget surplus. The GoI has complete freedom to invest its surplus fund however it wants.
Does the Iraqi government have another large foreign fund other than its foreign exchange reserves and national surplus fund? If so, what?
How can the victims of Saddam sue the Iraqi government for damages? Under what part of international law is this allowed?
hello mohammed,
i can see that you are pessimistic and i can totally understand why so. as a matter of fact, i really think im very lucky for not being in your shoes.
but i really dont think turkey has any interest in invading iraq, or getting involved to any clash with the iranians. turkeys only concern for the region is the kurdish terrorists in the northern iraq and nothing more.
I am so truly sorry for all the suffering that has gone on in your country.
Please know that I have always been against Bush attacking your country, and I watch news from Middle Eastern countries, so that I can hear how it is going for you all there.
I can't help but shed tears when I see the death of so many(esp the beautiful babies).
Please stay safe. I will be praying for you,your fellow citizens and your country.
Roland,
Thank for your concern my friend.
Bruno,
Multivitamins...I did that...loool but with eating garlic every three hours it would be a bit hard to let someone keep you warm loool, just kidding....of course garlic is good and I follow a technique that worked most of the times which my father taught me: wear extra heavy clothing and cover your self with two blankets so that you will feel like you are in a sauna and start sweating and stay like this all night and when you wake it's gone...but I didn't do it this time because it was already a bit hot in Baghdad so I couldn't stand it....and by the way extra fluid intake works very good with the flu so as cinnamon tea.
Hardy Haberman,
I hope that too, thanks.
Steen,
Thank you very much....I respect you too.
Lynette,
Let's start with the simplest....the other minerals other than oil like...natural gas and phosphorus in the north (Kirkuk)....the mercury (red mercury) in the west...the agriculture in the east and the middle so as in the south....and one thing that draws massive amount of money into Iraq which is the religious tourism specially for the Shiites and the Iranians in Karbalaa, Nagaf and Kadhomia in Baghdad and they don't care about the security situation because I have seen so many in Kadhomiya...and the list goes on.
Because of what LJM said…Iran is not like Iraq, it's economy is much more advanced and thus it's affected more when the prices of oil is low…so they have their own problems to worry about now and they can't afford to get involved in Iraq.
LJM,
Let's hope they will burn up in that flame.
Anad,
thank you…
I heard about those deals too but I haven't heard whether they were closed or not.
Thank you for your wishes Akhoiya.
Well, I really don't know under what law they can sue the Iraqi government for what Saddam did!! It's unfair and I think there is no law that allows it.
Super hero,
I too, don't think Turkey wants to invade all Iraq or clashes with Iran but I'm certain they have some interest in the north specially Kirkuk…they might use the excuse of the Kurdish armed men to have a foot in Kirkuk or other northern government.
Deb will do,
Thank you very much for your compassion and wishes.
Barack Obama has won the election in the USA. This should mean the start of plans to withdraw troops from Iraq over time. It also means Ahmadinejad is going to have a much harder time calling a country lead by a man named Barack Hussein Obama the great Satan. The people living in his country will think otherwise for the most part. They might not like us, but I think they like Obama.
Mohammed,
All of those things you listed are certainly good for diversification of Iraq's revenue. Hopefully Iraq will be able to develop them further.
From what I have read though, oil makes up the greatest portion of Iraq's revenue. So near term the lower oil prices will definitely have an impact on Iraq's budget.
You make a good point about Iran. They have a highly government subsidized economy. The lower oil prices will be pinching them as well. They will find foreign adventures more expensive, both literaly and figuratively.
LJM,
There have always been plans to withdraw troops from Iraq gradually. That's part of what the SOFA is about. Obama ran, in the beginning, on a platform of withdrawal right away. *shrug* Now we will see what he does...
The Iranian people may very well like Obama. Many in the ME seem to. Whether or not that will make people think of the US as other than the "Great Satan" is questionable. Obama is not a Muslim. For the extremists, like al-Qaida, he is nothing more than an apostate.
Hi Dr M,
Glad to see you are OK.
A law to sue victims of Saddam? If there is one, that would be interesting. A law to sue Bush would be more interesting.
Stay safe.
@ Lynnette in Minnesota, November 5, 2008 7:24 PM.
[Lynn] "For the extremists, like al-Qaida, he is nothing more than an apostate".
Dear Lynnette, why do you keep writing utter absurdities???
Since (as you correctly say) "Obama is not a Muslim" (and never was), how could ANYBODY, "extremist" or not, regard him as "an apostate"?
Apostate to WHAT?
From this our host Mohammed and all his readers can better see how sensible (!!!) are the things you write, LOL!!!
I wondered about the apostate thing, however, to be an apostate, don't you have to have been muslim and then left the religion? Obama says he wasn't ever muslim. He is Christian. No doubt, the totally religious fundamentalists have a problem with that, but when I spoke about Iran, isn't true that the average Iranian citizen is more moderate when it comes to religion? Iran had a very cosmopolitan history before the 1979 revolution. Of course, they had their government's dark side before 1979, but socially, they were more aligned with countries in Europe for example.
Italian, Obama was born to a Muslim father, but rejected Islam and became Christian as a boy. That is why the Takfiris hate him. Obama is hated by AQ linked networks in Pakistan.
What you must understand Italian, is that the Takfiris don't want to only kill Iraqis. They want to kill Italians, Chinese, Indians, Russians, Iranians, Afghans, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and everyone else in the world.
Only if all of us from around the world unite, can we defeat the Takfiri. If we don't unite, then what has happened to Iraq will come our way.
If you want to learn the truth about Takfiris, Italian, ask the Iraqis.
LJM and Italian,
It is my understanding that extremists, such as al-Qaida, consider anyone who does not follow their religion to be an apostate. You will note the blowing up of Shia, who are also Muslim, and the forcing out of the Christians in Mosul. They will not consider Barack Obama as anything else. I did not say it made sense.
LJM,
I can't speak for the majority of Iranians when it comes to their religious beliefs. But I do not equate the average Iranian with al-Qaida. I think they would prefer to end the deep freeze between our two countries, but it is their leaders who are the problem. I do not think they feel it would be to their benefit.
LJM,
Personally, I preferred Obama much more than McCain, McCain looked so evil and he is another copy of Bush and I believe with more evil and destructive thoughs…I'll tell you one thing about Iran and Obama…first of all it wouldn't make a difference to the Bastard Najad even if Obama was a Muslim cleric, take that from me…and added to that Obama is not Muslim….it's not about religion and it never had, didn't you figure it out yet, religion is just a mask or a slogan to gather the people and tell them what to do, it's just a dirty game everyone is playing by the name of the religion.
Lynette,
Yes, I hope that too but do you know how much excess Iraq had in its budget last year!! So if the prices are lowered that means the budget will be just enough or a little less then if they want to decrease the salaries they should do that to everyone! We are supposed to be living in a democratic and free country where nobody is better than anybody else, right?
Angel,
Glad to hear from you too, thanks.
LJM,
I agree with you on that…we shouldn't judge a whole population depending on their leadership or the people on the surface.
Anad,
You are right, they want to kill anyone who is not like them even if they are Muslims and even if they were Sunnis, they will kill everyone who don't follow them or do as they say or even don't share their beliefs.
Lynette,
I should correct you on that…they consider anyone who doesn't follow what they say to be an opposite and the proof on that is the many Muslim Sunnis and Shiites that they killed.
By the way, I think you are considering Shiites and Sunnis different religions (that's what I understood from what you said) but they are one religion but different sects…just like the Catholics and the protestants; they are both Christians but different sects…
Mohammed,
Yes, I understand that both Sunni and Shia are Muslim. Which is why I referred to the Shia as being also Muslims in my comment above. Perhaps I should have worded my reference to "al-Qaida's religion" a little differently. Their's is simply a more extreme version of Islam.
I do agree that they, and others, use religion in their desire to gain and hold on to power.
Yes I know, Mohammed, "religion is the opiate of the masses." To me, religion and/or spirituality are deeply personal and shouldn't be used for mind control. Sadly, it's what happens and all these wars get started and fought for the ages.
Lynnette
You are correct that AQ will kill both Shia Muslims and Christians. As Mohammed has pointed out they will also kill Sunni Muslims for any number of insane "reasons".
But you are incorrect about the labelling.
An "apostate" is what they call a fellow Muslim who does not follow their (insane) version of Islam. That would, for AQ, mean all Shiites and probably most Sunnis as well. The word "apostate" means literally to renounce or defect from a belief. So you would have to have been adhering to that belief in order to apostate from it.
A Christian, or a Hindu or a Buddhist or even an atheist is instead called an "infidel", since they are not Muslim at all. They are not Muslims so they are infidels – non-believers.
If Obama was to be considered an "apostate" then he would first have to have been a Muslim and then abandoned his religion or "the right path" of his religion.
Since Obama was never a Muslim and himself states he is a Christian then AQ would view him not as an apostate from Islam but as a Christian infidel.
//Marcus
I am surprised that you are worried about some of the same things that we in the U.S. are concerned about- meaning- the global economic crisis, and the part that America will play in your country's future, and I welcome your perspective. Please continue to post, your blog is refreshing and enlightening, and I appreciate your insights.
Marcus, forgive me for correcting you. Obama worse born from a muslim Kenyan father. This makes him muslim at birth as the Takfiris see it. As a child, Obama chose to convert to Christianity. From the extreme Salafi perspective, Obama renounced the religion he was born into when he became a Christian.
Dr. Mohammed, PM Maliki and his National Operations Center (National Security Council Equivalent) want to assume all security responsibilities for Baghdad's security from the MNF-I by June, 2009. They would do so through the Baghdad Operations Commander under Lt. Gen Aboud Quanbar. This Corps level HQs commands all ISF in Baghdad and does not report to the Ministry of Defense, but reports to the PM and National Operations Center directly.
Dr. Mohammed, do you think the IA and IP are ready to take full control. Do you have confidence in the IA, the Baghdad Operations Command, and Lt. Gen Aboud Quanbar?
Currently the GoI has full security responsibility in 13 out of 18 provinces. 4 more transfer in the next few weeks (by January or February.)
Dr. Mohammed, do most Iraqis favor SOFA, or oppose it? Under SOFA, all US troops leave by the end of 2011, and all MNF operations need to be approved by the PM (in PIC provinces, and every province will be PIC very soon.) PM Maliki has negotiated unprecedented power over the US military. (South Korea, Japan, Germany, Canada, Italy, UK, Singapore, Philippines, and other countries all have less control over the US forces in their own countries.) President Bush showed the SOFA to Obama, who had no objections. Therefore, the new SOFA looks to be it (the new SOFA allows the US to pull out all its troops sooner if America wants to, or if Iraq requests it. Obama likes to flexibility to withdraw as fast as he wants.)
Dr. Mohammed, are Iraqi optimistic as the US troops withdraw?
Marucs,
A Christian, or a Hindu or a Buddhist or even an atheist is instead called an "infidel", since they are not Muslim at all. They are not Muslims so they are infidels – non-believers.
Yes, you are correct. Apostate would not be an appropriate term in these cases.
But Anand is correct in his explanation regarding Obama.
Thank you, Anand.
I'm pretty sure in Islam that Christians and Jews are not infidels, as they do believe in God (same god as Muslims).
As far as Obama, Muslims believe that religion is transmitted from the father to the child at birth... that is the reason Muslim men can marry non-Muslims, but the same is not true for Muslim women. However, the rule doesn't seem to apply to Obama because by Sharia law he is an apostate, but I've never once seen him called that by any Muslim.
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