I’m tired of waiting. I can’t imagine how much more that feeling affects actual Iraqis who are forced to live in a state of choas and uncertainty because their leaders aren’t leading.
Speaking by videoteleconference with reporters at the Pentagon, Col. David Gray, commander of the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, said the political vacuum in Baghdad is troubling Iraqis in Kirkuk, the capital of the oil-rich region in northern Iraq. Kurds would like to incorporate the Kirkuk area into their self-ruled region known as Kurdistan, a move opposed by Arabs, Turkomen and the Turkish government in Ankara.
“They’re a little bit apprehensive,” Gray said, referring to provincial and local leaders in the Kirkuk area.
In Baghdad, there appeared to be progress Friday toward forming a unity government. Shiite politicians agreed to nominate Jawad al-Maliki as prime minister, replacing the incumbent Ibrahim al-Jaafari, whose nomination had sparked sharp opposition from Sunni Arab and Kurdish leaders and caused a four-month deadlock.
I, for one, would like to hear that final decisions have been reached. As I sit typing this the power brokers of Iraq are meeting nearby. Four months should be enough time to figure out who the prime minister will be. It’s quiet – there are no distractions. Haven’t heard an IED, VBIED, mortar, or rocket all day. Let’s get some decisions made, for the love of all that is holy.
I think al-Jafaari is out and someone I’ve never heard of named al-Maliki is in. Great, if al-Maliki is willing to work on building an Iraq where everyone has basic human rights, and where the insurgency is stomped on so hard that the truly important tasks such as rebuilding a country neglected for 30 years can really get underway.
Lead or be damned by the ghosts of those who died waiting for Iraq to be transformed into a place where decent people can lead happy lives.