POLITICS: Iraq Chooses Kurdish President

Following days of uncertainty, the Iraqi Parliament elected Jalal Talabani, a Kurdish leader as the new Interim President of the country. A #e, Adel Abdul-Mahdi , and a Sunni, Ghazi al-Yawer were elected as Talabani's Vice Presidents. The new government plans to broadcast coverage of today's events to Saddam and members of his former regime in their jail cells.



While the position of Interim President and Vice President is mainly ceremonial, this is still great news for Iraq, having representatives for each of the major factions elected to office should serve to unite the people. All Iraqis should now feel that they will receive fair representation as the country continues to build its new government.

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[edit on 4-6-2005 by worldwatcher]

nice, just hope he keeps his promise and do for the good of all of iraq.

just more u.s. puppetry in the works...

i can't believe the world falls for it



- is it good - maybe?

- is it democracy - hell no

Regardless of the feelings that you may have that this is a puppet government and how you feel about the Iraq War, you have to admit that this is good news. Instead of prolonging the bickering and uncertainty, the Iraqi interim govt made a clear choice to have representatives of the three largest groups lead the country. The fact that you have a Kurd, a #e and a Sunni in the top positions should help bring the country together, maybe now instead of focusing on their ideological differences they can come together and work on causes that unite them all.

This is similar to the situation in lebanon, where the constitution demands that the various executives be from the different major ethnic groups, although this is not a constitutional provision. Perhaps when the assembly makes a constitution they will include something like that.

This is good news, we can finally start to shed some light on that country. Weather a puppet leader or not we shouldn't argue nor dismiss this event. Holding the US and its coalition back isn't going to solve the problem. These things take time and effort, and lots of money.

Maybe now these politicians can settle-in and start running their country instead of hiding. It's time for them and the US to shed a little light onwhere the oil money is being stored, and if any of it is being spent on their own reconstruction. We continue to hand money out to politicians and lapdogs in bundles of cash and no record keeping. Before they can claim any kind of government they have to establish, " who takes care of the money,".

I forsee a little problem with it. How long do you think it will take for Turkey to invade? The Turks have made it awfully clear they hate the Kurds. And now Iraq has a Kurdish president...I just see trouble brewing on this.

Another news source said Saddam was visually shaken up when he watched the video of the election. Ironic that it will be a Kurd as president of Iraq when he goes to trial, since we all know how he felt about the Kurds in the past.

I guess one can say what goes around comes around

Sure hope he gets a speeeeeeedy trial.

[edit on 4/6/2005 by shots]

I will freely admit to not understanding where the iraqi hatred of the Kurds comes into play.
I am glad to see that he was elected, now things will start to pull together, unless he is assasinated so that he can be replaced by another groups leader.

I think the fear of assasination is the greatest threat of instability with this new government.

Kurdish?

As I recall, Kurds were being systematicly murdered by Turkey and Iraq - both of them supported by USA at the time of these violations.

No to mention the name: Talabani - sounds almost like Taliban(i).



[edit on 6/4/05 by Souljah]

I wouldn't believe that Turkey would plan on invading Iraq anytime soon, nor in the future. This war cost way to too much money and lives to watch it get blow away again. The US would intervene.

Talibani, Taliban kinda ironic

I don't understand this hatred of the kurds. From my experience living in Mosul for 2 years, the kurdish were the friendliest people I have ever met. Always willing to accept an arab as one of them and never ones to judge before they knew a person. Continuous persecution brings that out in a people. When my father was working at the university there in mosul, he said it was a wonderful place to work. The kurdish women are beautiful, too. Apparently, green eyes are the predominant eye colour among kurdish women.

While in Iraq, I personally worked with Mr. Talabani seceral times. He is a very nice, well spoken, generous man. Iraq should be in good hands. My concern is not Turkey to the north, or even #es in the south, but the various Kurd factions in the north. When I was there, there was alot of tension between the factions of KDP, PDK among others. The good thing is that after a while, Mr. Talabani really united the tribes and factions.

I have nothing against Kurds they are nice people but give me a break this is no way a democracy it is more like democrazy.how could the president be one of the minority i thought democrasy is the ruling of the magority. Hopefully he is good although i doubt it as he is placed by US but anyways call it anything but democracy.