It seems that the political agreement between squabbling factions in Iraq's parliament, made on Thursday, has started to unravel.
The Sunnis have staged a walkout on the pretext of the failure of parliament to actually cast a vote on the power sharing agreement.
It seems that I was wrong when I said (tongue in cheek) yesterday that the agreement was the "easy bit". Clearly there is yet to be an agreement!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Agreement Reached?
Some 250 days after the Iraq general election (a world record) it seems that an agreement may finally have been reached between the politicians as to forming a government in Iraq.
A unity government will be formed, headed by the incumbent prime minister (Nouri al-Maliki).
That's the easy bit, now all the politicians have to do is govern the country!
A unity government will be formed, headed by the incumbent prime minister (Nouri al-Maliki).
That's the easy bit, now all the politicians have to do is govern the country!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Bush's Claims Backfire
Former President George Bush's claims that "waterboarding" garnered valuable intelligence that saved lives have been disputed in the UK.
Lord MacDonald, former Director of Public Prosecutions, said:
"These stories about waterboarding thwarting attacks on Canary Wharf and Heathrow - I've never seen anything to substantiate these claims.
These claims are to be treated with a great deal of scepticism."
Legal experts are also of the view that, having sanctioned the interrogation technique, Bush could be arrested for breaking international law if he travels abroad.
Lord MacDonald, former Director of Public Prosecutions, said:
"These stories about waterboarding thwarting attacks on Canary Wharf and Heathrow - I've never seen anything to substantiate these claims.
These claims are to be treated with a great deal of scepticism."
Legal experts are also of the view that, having sanctioned the interrogation technique, Bush could be arrested for breaking international law if he travels abroad.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Bush Defends Waterboarding
The Guardian quotes former President Bush as defending the technique of "waterboarding" (now banned under President Obama) terrorist suspects:
"I knew an interrogation programme this sensitive and controversial would one day become public. When it did, we would open ourselves up to criticism that America had compromised our moral values. I would have preferred that we get the information another way. But the choice between security and values was real.
Their interrogations helped break up plots to attack American diplomatic facilities abroad, Heathrow airport and Canary Wharf in London, and multiple targets in the United States."
There is much debate as to whether (morality aside) techniques such as this actually produce any real information that actually saves lives.
"I knew an interrogation programme this sensitive and controversial would one day become public. When it did, we would open ourselves up to criticism that America had compromised our moral values. I would have preferred that we get the information another way. But the choice between security and values was real.
Their interrogations helped break up plots to attack American diplomatic facilities abroad, Heathrow airport and Canary Wharf in London, and multiple targets in the United States."
There is much debate as to whether (morality aside) techniques such as this actually produce any real information that actually saves lives.
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