Bremer accused of interfering with vote

[CShine]

Paul Bremer, the US administrator for Iraq, has ordered the Iraqi Governing Council to delay nominating a president for a caretaker government that will take power in July. Mr Bremer, who heads the Coalition Provisional Authority, intervened personally when the council was on the verge of holding a vote to ratify its choice - Ghazi Ajil Yawer, a young tribal leader who is critical of the US occupation. Mr Bremer and the United Nations envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, support the former foreign minister, Adnan Pachachi, for the largely ceremonial post.

"Bremer came in and read them the riot act," a Governing Council aide said. Ala Hashimi, a member of the Dawa Party, who was present at Sunday's meeting, said: "Bremer interfered and postponed the vote."

Mr Bremer and Mr Brahimi are trying to exert control over an unwieldy process in which representatives on the US-backed Governing Council are jostling for posts. Council members asserted themselves on Friday by presenting Iyad Allawi, a Shiite Muslim and former Baath party member with close ties to the CIA, as their unanimous choice for prime minister. However, interviews with a number of players involved suggested the decision was made by the Americans working with a smaller group of council members. Mr Brahimi, who appeared to be less than enthusiastic about the choice, was said to be surprised by the turn of events.

Occupation authorities denied on Sunday that they were applying pressure to the Governing Council. "We have not been leaning on anybody to support one president over another," said Dan Senor, a coalition spokesman. "Under international law, we have the ultimate authority for what happens in Iraq. We are the occupational power."

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/31/1085855500318.html

[donsu]

1. kick

nt

[peacetalksforall]

2. Empty words...our leaders are experts at lies and empty words.

I didn't get to listen to all of Washington Journal this morning, but what I heard made me overwhelmed by the feeling that I hadn't heard anyone lie. It was a glorious morning.

[TrogL]

3. Lemme guess - no sign of this in US media, right?

Pathetic.

[Rose Siding]

5. The US press may have gotten it right-

Bremer has always just been Blackwill's public face.

snip>
Instead of fashioning the kind of savvy compromise for which he is known, Mr. Brahimi appears to have folded, acquiescing to the desires of the Americans, who were promoting Dr. Alawi. While American officials maintain that Dr. Alawi was Mr. Brahimi's choice, people close to Mr. Brahimi say he reluctantly endorsed him only after American officials aggressively recommended him.

One person conversant with the negotiations said Mr. Brahimi was presented with "a fait accompli" after President Bush's envoy to Iraq, Robert D. Blackwill, "railroaded" the Governing Council into coalescing around him.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/31/international/middleeast/31IRAQ.html...

I listed more articles and background on Blackwill here (post 9)-

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1694785#1695472

[LiberalFighter]

4. How good is word of mouth in Iraq??

Bet they all know the truth about what happened and are upset.

How many more "terrorists" are going to attack?

[NNN0LHI]

12. This smoke and mirrors is not for Iraqi consumption

It is for ignorant Americans consumption. Nothing else.

Don

[saigon68]

22. In other WORDS "THE SHEEP"

The sheep are sleeping soundly as the puppets proceed to strip mine Iraq of anything not nailed down and remit the SPOILS TO THEIR AMERIKAN MASTERS


LOL

[leesa]

6. A good Republican.

[daleo]

7. Talk about a mixed message or double speak

"Occupation authorities denied on Sunday that they were applying pressure to the Governing Council. "We have not been leaning on anybody to support one president over another," said Dan Senor, a coalition spokesman. "Under international law, we have the ultimate authority for what happens in Iraq. We are the occupational power.""

What the hell does that mean? The way I read it, they are saying "we are not leaning on anyone, because we don't have to - since the choice is ours anyway, we can hardly be interfering, when we tell the Council how to vote (the vote is a charade)".

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. They only care about international law

when it supports our control over Iraq. When it comes to war crimes, torture and private contractors, then there are no laws.

[maddezmom]

8. another link from the Independent...Bremer needs to step back

Bremer threatens to veto Iraqis' choice of president

It emerged yesterday that Mr Bremer warned the council during talks on Sunday not to put the decision to the vote, saying that if it elected Sheikh Yawar, he would veto the decision. Further talks scheduled for yesterday were postponed at America's request until today, meaning that the deadline to name the interim government by the end of May was missed.

~snip~

The sight of the Americans trying to bully the Governing Council into accepting their choice is threatening to destroy the interim government's credibility in the eyes of Iraqis. The US is already facing widespread accusations that the handover is cosmetic, and designed so that President Bush can claim the occupation is over ahead of the American presidential election in November.

~snip~

It is not clear why the US has decided to dig in its heels over the presidency, which will be a largely ceremonial role - especially after the controversial selection of Iyad Allawi, a Shia with close links to MI6 and the CIA, for the more influential post of interim Prime Minister.

Originally it was the UN envoy Mr Brahimi who was supposed to choose the new government, but the process was hijacked last week when the Governing Council got in first and voted to appoint Mr Allawi, to Mr Brahimi's clear astonishment. With Mr Brahimi's role already completely undermined, the Americans now seem to be about to pull the rug from under the Governing Council -- and in doing so, expose the new interim government as one appointed by the US alone, without Iraqi involvement.

~snip~

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=526957

[maddezmom]

10. Dark Horse Candidate being floated as 3rd choice pick

~snip~
One council source suggested that Saad al-Janabi, a close associate of relatives of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein with Republican Party and CIA (news - web sites) connections, was being considered as a third possible candidate.


With security a prime problem facing the interim government, Janabi comes from a tribe with connections in the troubled city of Fallujah and Al-Anbar province, one of the most violent areas during the US-led occupation.


The offices of Pachachi and Yawar said they knew nothing about the report. Neither did Governing Council spokesman Hamid al-Kifaey.

~snip~
more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1515&ncid=1515&e=1&u=/afp/20040531/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_worldwrap_040531221800

[Zhade]

14. ...threatening to destroy the interim government's credibility..."

WHAT credibility? The Iraqi people know just what a fucking sham this whole thing is, and no puppet government is going to survive once we leave.

U.S. out now - and out completely! No more neocolonialism!

Don't forget to march on June 5!

http://www.answercoalition.org/campaigns/j5/index.html

[SoCalDem]

11. Bush said it several times.. FULL SOVEREIGNTY

guess he was just lying again :)

[Zhade]

13. The anti-democracy democracy!

That fascist Senor, bringing up international law...that's like Hitler bringing up anti-Semitism!

[Disturbed]

17. International Law?

"Dan Senor, a coalition spokesman. "Under international law, we have the ultimate authority for what happens in Iraq. We are the occupational power."

I believe that he is incorrect regarding IL. These scum bring up laws when it suits their plans. Since when did BushCo give a crap about any laws?

[SoCalDem]

15. Here's a pic of the guy who will be the real president of Iraq

[maddezmom]

16. LOL...for once he doesn't look like a chimp n/t

[Lou_C]

18. That's Bush's cousin

:wow:
The Bush family are honest people! :crazy:

[IndianaGreen]

19. The Iraqi Governing Council are like the Vichy French

no matter what, they will always bend over to the will of the foreign occupier.

This dispute about who should be selected for the largely ceremonial role of President is nothing but window dressing on the part of our puppets in the IGC. This is the same bunch of subservient lapdogs that elected a former CIA operative as Prime Minister. This "crisis" is nothing but PR intended to fool the Iraqi people into thinking that the IGC is independent from the US.

They are fooling no one!

[NNN0LHI]

20. Where the hell you been IG?

I have felt like the Lone Ranger around here. I can't believe Americans are falling for this crap.

Don

[IndianaGreen]

21. A close loved one had a stroke back in mid-April

Family considerations have taken a lot of time and effort, that's why I haven't had much time to spend on the boards.

We had a close call with a tornado yesterday--it passed us by a little too close for comfort.

I only have time to be online for short periods of time.

Nice to hear from you, Don.

[NNN0LHI]

23. I hope your loved one is doing well

Its really good to have you back. Take care and see you later.

Don

[arwalden]

24. Come On... Be Honest Now... Are You Surprised? Did You Expect Different?

I'm not even surprised that this gets minimal coverage in the US.

-- Allen <-- a cynic AND a skeptic.

[struggle4progress]

25. WP: Iraqi Council Vote Postponed

U.S. Said to Oppose Presidential Choice

The U.S.-led occupation authority ordered Iraq's Governing Council on Monday to postpone a vote on nominating a president because the council's favored candidate is opposed by the authority, council members said. Some members angrily accused the occupation authority of attempting to impose a choice on them.

Most members want Ghazi Yawar, a U.S.-educated tribal sheik who holds the council's rotating presidency, to assume the largely symbolic presidency of the interim government that will take limited power on June 30. But the members said the U.S. administrator of Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, favors another candidate, Adnan Pachachi, an 81-year-old former exile who served as foreign minister in the 1960s, before Saddam Hussein's Baath Party took power.

The council had planned to nominate Yawar at a meeting on Monday morning. But before the session began, Yawar told other members that he had been instructed by Bremer not to convene the meeting.

<snip>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4769-2004May31.html

Ain't democracy grand? The Iraqis are gonna love how we've liberated them!