IRAQ GROK Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
[Links to full articles were active on the date posted here]
CIA Plotted Faking Saddam Hussain Sex Video [May 27]
“Kuwaiti bloggers have played down the significance of an allegedly secret attempt by the CIA to flood Iraq in 2003 with a video that depicts Saddam Hussain as gay and having sex with a teenage boy. According to the report, published by the Washington Post on Wednesday, and quoting two former American intelligence officials, the CIA’s Iraq Operations Group, during the planning for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, looked at a number of ideas for discrediting Saddam Hussain in the eyes of his people. “One was to create a video purporting to show the Iraqi dictator having sex with a teenage boy. It would look like it was taken by a hidden camera,” said one of the former officials familiar with the project. “Very grainy, like it was a secret videotaping of a sex session. The idea was to then flood Iraq with the videos.” [Complete Report]
Iraq Vote Results Face Another Possible Delay [May 27]
“Iraq’s Supreme Court asked election officials on Thursday to clear up legal issues surrounding an appeal against a candidate, a move that could further delay the certification of March 7 election results. Tensions have been rising in Iraq after the inconclusive parliamentary election, with a proposed alliance of major Shi’ite electoral blocs raising concern that minority Sunnis could be marginalized. The high court said it had received the election results for certification on Wednesday but had asked the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) for a clarification due to an appeal by Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s State of Law Party against one of the candidates on the 325-seat parliament list..” [Complete Report]
Biden: U.S. Troops Will Leave Iraq on Deadline [May 27]
“President Obama called Iraq his predecessor’s war of choice. Now it is his war to exit — and quickly. The challenge for Obama, whose opposition to the Iraq invasion helped propel him to the presidency, is sticking to his timeline for a U.S. military withdrawal despite a jump in violence and continued wrangling among Iraqi politicians over who will lead the country. The sensitive departure is being managed by Vice President Biden, who says the U.S. military will reduce troop levels to 50,000 this summer, even if no new Iraqi government takes shape. “It’s going to be painful; there’s going to be ups and downs,” Biden said in a 40-minute interview in his West Wing office this month. “But I do think the end result is going to be that we’re going to be able to keep our commitment.”..” [Complete Report]
Pushing The Investment Frontier in Iraq [May 27]
“Fancy investing in Iraqi tourism? It doesn’t sound like an immediate growth area. But this week two new investment funds which pinpoint hotels in Baghdad as a golden opportunity are being launched in London. On the plus side for international investors, Iraq is a country under reconstruction, with huge oil reserves and an educated middle class. But as far as the rest of the world is concerned Iraq has a mountain to climb, as far as its business reputation is concerned. Fow example, while the UK has a top AAA credit rating, the internationally-recognised projection of a country’s credit risk, Iraq has no credit rating at all. This makes it difficult to attract investment as many see the risks as simply too high. But to a small section of the financial community, elevated risk signals opportunity..” [Complete Report]
Arab League Urges Quick Action on Iraqi Cabinet [May 27]
“Arab nations are warning Iraqi politicians that they need to form a new government soon. The Arab League said Thursday that Iraq’s political factions need to come to an agreement on a national unity government, warning it is not in the country’s interest to take more time. Iraq held parliamentary elections in March but none of the political groups won enough seats for a clear majority. Election officials say former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi’s bloc won 91 seats, the most of any political group. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s coalition won 89. But 163 seats are needed for the slimmest majority..” [Complete Report]
