Ayad Jamalhuddin and the UK

Today Ahrar's leader Ayad Jamal Aldin, sent a personal letter to the Chairman of the Iraq Inquiry in the UK, Sir John Chilcot requesting an opportunity to come and listen to an evidence giving session.
The inquiry is investigating the build up to the war in 2003, which saw the overthrowing of Saddam Hussein's regime.
Speaking about the letter, Ahrar's leader said, "There is no other group of people who deserve the opportunity to listen to the evidence provided to the inquiry than the Iraqi people."
"It is my belief, that as a representative of the Iraqi people, my presence will serve as a reminder to the Great British government that Iraq still reverberates to the actions taken 6 years ago. Instead of fearing Saddam Hussein's regime, Iraqis live in fear of sectarian violence and the endemic corruption which need to be tackled, more so now than ever. The British people may have moved on, but the consequences of that action remain apparent and without strong international oversight, the forthcoming elections may be hampered severely by sectarianism and corruption. Ahrar calls upon the British and international community to ensure a fair, free and safe election once it has been called."

Read Ahrar Leader Ayad Jamal Aldin's letter to Sir John Chilcot here

The British and the Kurds

A UK Parliamentary delegation has been in Kurdistan ahead of the Kurdish Regional Parliament elections - due may 19th but likely to be substantially delayed - we'll see.

“It has been two steps forward but one step back for the Kurdistan Region in the last year. Links with Turkey have improved but relations with Baghdad have declined. Respect for the UK remains very high in Iraqi Kurdistan, thanks to our role in establishing the safe haven in 1991 and in what is commonly referred to as ‘liberation’ in 2003.

Oil Iraq

Riad Taher of the newly formed group, Friendship across Frontiers, is fuming about the Iraq oil law. He is not the only one furious about what the UK and USA are trying to impose:

The hasty attempt by the US/UK administration in post occupation to persuade the docile Iraqi-in-Government to formalise the Hydro Carbon Law remains undiminished. Particularly in the absence of tangible security and improvements of living standards to the Iraqi people. The Law was resented and rejected by most Iraqi oil experts on the basis that this law is biased as it is believed that the original formulation, was by experts from Exxon – Mobil – BP, but fronted by Iraqis!! The other objections were focused on the production sharing contract which understandably is suited for high risk production field rather than to the Iraqi discoveries which enjoy low risk and low production costs (approx 1US$ per bbl). Also the duration of these contracts are longer than economically envisaged as acceptable (maximum 15 years).

TO VIEW FULL STATEMENT CLICK HERE

"How the British army lost Basra"

This article is making waves and forms the backdrop to the new mood and discourse.  Run in the FT two days ago, Jeremy Bowen essentially retold the entire piece for TV on the 10 o'clock news last night, including interviews with key players.  These are tough times of grave consequence.


View the article HERE

Soldiers killed from Brown's constituency

Three British soldiers were killed in Iraq on Gordon Brown's first day as Prime Minister (most newspapers). Two of the soldiers were from Brown's constituency in Scotland (Daily Telegraph, Independent, Times).

Brown attacks blunders over war in Iraq

Chancellor Gordon Brown makes trip to Iraq, admitting mistakes were made in the handling of the Iraq war, and declaring that in the future assessment of intelligence will be kept "independent of the political process". (All papers) Brown is also reported to have assured Iraqi government officials that they will be included in discussions prior to any decisions being made with regards to the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq. (Times)

Revolt on the Tigris

This book provides a firsthand account of a nine-month period after the 2003 war which Mark Etherington – a former paratrooper in the British Army and a Cambridge graduate – spent in the Iraqi provincial capital of al-Kut, serving as head of the small Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). The CPA team was charged with overseeing Wasit Province – a province with a predominantly Shia population of 900,000 and a long border with Iran – and begin the process of reconstruction, both political and physical...

FOR FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE

Pressure Mounts on Blair for Inquiry into Mistakes in Iraq

The Independent
Andrew Grice - Political Editor

The Government is under mounting pressure to hold an early inquiry into the mistakes made in Iraq as Tony Blair refused to apologise for the chaos engulfing the country.

Heavyweight demands for a wide-ranging investigation came in a five-hour debate in the House of Lords led by the former foreign secretary Lord Hurd of Westwell, who won the backing of several other former cabinet ministers.

Allies of Gordon Brown admit there will be growing pressure on him to announce an immediate inquiry if, as expected, he succeeds Tony Blair as Prime Minister this summer. He faces an agonising dilemma over whether to call one. On the one hand, the move might help him to draw a line under an affair in which Mr Blair was undoubtedly the leading player. On the other, Mr Brown, whatever his private reservations, backed Mr Blair and said during the 2005 general election he would not have acted differently. An inquiry would also keep Iraq in the spotlight, and risk overshadowing Mr Brown's attempt to unveil a fresh domestic agenda.

To view the full article please click on the title

Escape from Iraq

This compilation came in from Tharoor's M11 group today:

British prime minister Tony Blair announced a time-table for the withdrawal of over 2,000 of its troops from southern Iraq. 1,600 soldiers will be taken out of the country in the following months, with a further 500 to be withdrawn by the end of the summer.
Joining the northern European escape are the Danes, who will remove all their 450 troops in Iraq by the end of the summer.
The Polimom blog sees America's perceived isolation in Iraq turning real.

Entering Iraq? Leading Turkish officials maintain that they have the right to cross the border into Iraq if local authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan refuse to deal with suspected terrorists affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkey has long resented the Iraqi Kurds' reluctance and the US' inability to root out PKK terrorists who take refuge across the border in Iraq.
Get a Kurdish perspective on Turkey's potential intervention at the Rasti blog.