[This appears to be a rather welcome development in itself, and also in the direction of fighting the ISIS menace more effectively.]
I/II. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29674440 18 October 2014 Last updated at 16:37 Iraq crisis: MPs complete anti-IS government Iraqi forces are battling Islamic State militants who have seized parts of north and west Iraq ***Iraqi MPs have approved new defence and interior ministers, completing a unity government that is battling the spread of Islamic State militants.*** [Emphasis added.] ***Mohammed Salem al-Ghabban, a Shia, was appointed interior minister, while Khaled al-Obeidi, a Sunni, was confirmed as defence minister.*** [Emphasis added.] ***IS controls large parts of the country, and has been making gains despite US-led coalition air strikes.*** [Emphasis added.] On Friday, a curfew was imposed in the city of Ramadi amid fierce fighting. The vote by Iraqi MPs will be a big relief both inside and outside Iraq after weeks of wrangling, says BBC Arab affairs editor Sebastian Usher. ***A more inclusive cabinet is seen as an essential first step in countering IS fighters, particularly among Iraq's Sunni minority*** (emphasis added), our correspondent adds. File photo: Iraq's Prime Minister-designate Haider al-Abadi speaks during a news conference in Baghdad, 25 August 2014 Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's new cabinet is now complete line Analysis: Sebastian Usher, BBC Arab affairs editor It's taken more than a month for these two key posts to be agreed. In a country where more than 1,000 people were dying in violence every month even before the rise of IS militants, the interior and defence jobs were always going to be highly sensitive and difficult to fill. The appointment of Mohammed Salem al-Ghabban as interior minister is something of a compromise after the powerful Shia party he belongs to, the Badr Organisation, conceded that their preferred candidate, the party's leader, would not be acceptable to Sunni parties. As for the man taking over at the defence ministry, Khaled al-Obeidi, his appointment has clear symbolic significance as he is a leading Sunni politician from the city of Mosul that was the first to be overrun by IS. So, Mr Abadi has succeeded in fulfilling the first part of his herculean task - to assemble a government that looks and feels more inclusive. His backers inside and outside Iraq are hoping it will create a sense of unity at the top that will provide an effective political response to the huge and complex challenge posed by IS. line Car bombs Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi had pledged to fill the posts in September, but his previous nominations were rejected. The previous Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was forced to resign in August, as the Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities accused his administration of pursuing sectarian policies. A new unity government was sworn in on 8 September, headed by Mr Abadi, with Sunni and Kurdish deputy prime ministers. Iraqi government forces, supported by US-led air strikes, are currently battling IS militants near Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, as well as the city of Tikrit, which was seized by IS earlier this year. Iraqis inspect the scene of a car bomb attack at Karada district in central Baghdad, Iraq, 18 October 2014 Iraq's capital Baghdad has been hit by several bomb attacks in recent days Anbar is a strategically important province, and home to Iraq's second-largest dam, the Haditha dam. Seizing Anbar would enable IS to to establish a supply line and potentially launch attacks on the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. On Thursday, officials said more than 40 people were killed and dozens wounded in a series of attacks in mainly Shia areas of Baghdad. The capital was rocked by further attacks on Friday night, as a series of car bombs killed at least 23 people. 'Oil facilities destroyed' Meanwhile, US military officials said in a statement that they had conducted 10 air strikes against IS targets in Iraq, and 15 air strikes against IS targets in Syria, on Friday and Saturday. IS buildings, oil facilities and armed vehicles were among the targets destroyed, the statement added. In other government appointments on Saturday, former foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari was appointed finance minister. He is among six Kurds to be given cabinet posts, double the number they were originally offered. Adel Fahd al-Shirshab was made tourism minister, while Bayan Nouri was named minister for women's affairs. II. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/10/233135.htm U.S. Welcomes Selection of Final Cabinet Ministers in Iraq Press Statement Jen Psaki Department Spokesperson Washington, DC October 18, 2014 ***We congratulate the Iraqi people and their elected representatives in the Iraqi parliament on the selection of seven new cabinet ministers today. These ministers, including new Ministers of Defense, Finance, and Interior, represent the diversity of Iraq, and complete an inclusive cabinet led by Prime Minister Abadi. Significantly, this is the first time since 2010 that Iraq has had a full cabinet with security ministers confirmed by the Iraqi parliament. Today's vote is another important step in the long-term campaign to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and restore stability to Iraq.*** [Emphasis added.] The United States looks forward to further strengthening our partnership with Prime Minister Abadi, his new cabinet, and the Iraqi people. We also look forward to working with all the new ministers, in the many fields outlined in our Strategic Framework Agreement, including security, economic, educational, and cultural cooperation. Our commitment to Iraq is long-term, and this new cabinet, representing all communities inside Iraq, is a key step in overcoming the many challenges confronting Iraq. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
