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[open Democracy News Analysis -] Iraq’s elections: winners, losers, and what’s next | open ...: The situation is hardly different in governorates whose population ispredominantly Sunni Arab: palettes ofnationalist, Islamist and tribally-based groups in Anbar and Salah al-Din(Tikrit), and the same in Diyala and Ninewa, where Kurds add to the range ofcolour. In none is there a clear winner.

[Foreign Policy FLASH POINTS] The new strategic situation in Iraq By Philip Zelikow | Shadow ...: Third, Americans will be asked to keep killing and being killed, without anyone wanting to give them credit or much attention either way. It is in Maliki's interest to use U.S. help privately to keep after al Qaeda and limit Iranian influence and intimidation. The Iranian issue will be especially acute in Basra, as Iran's power ministries decide what they want to do as the United States takes over advisory responsibility for this vital adjoining area from the UK. Meanwhile Maliki and Obama will want to show the United States is leaving fast.  How to reconcile these private and public purposes may be the central dilemma for policymakers in both capitals.

[The Nation: The Dreyfuss Report] Iraq's Elections: ISCI's View: Today, ISCI is a leading party in Iraq, especially in Najaf and the south, and it controls the provincial councils and governorates in six Iraqi provinces: Baghdad, Najaf, Babil, Qadisiyah, Dhi Qar, and Muthanna. According to many analysts, ISCI is expected to suffer a significant setback in the January 31 vote, losing seats both to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Islamic Dawa party, an allied but rival Shiite religious party, and to a resurgent secular and nationalist movement that includes, for the first time, many Sunni-led parties.

[Iraq Oil Report] Maliki takes first swing at KRG oil deals at Iraq Oil Report: The new Iraq is a federal democratic country.All the disputes among all the parties can be solved through constitution and the supreme court.Kurds through KRG and their parliament have chosen to be part of this union where they have all their rights secured and guaranteed while enjoying the protection of a sovereign Iraq.Everything they do is based on that constitution and within the framework of Iraq.However, Mr. Al-Maliki unfortunately has been acting as ifhe is not the PM of a democratic country with limited term of premiership.Many of his actions are in violation of the principles of the voluntary union new Iraq is based on and are targeted at strengthening the powers of the central government at the expense of the regions and governorates leading to the belief that he is paving the way for another one person one party dictatorship.Iraqis have suffered for over 8 decades from this type of regime and they refuse to go back to those days.Today most aspect of the system are based on concensus of all Iraqi elements ethnic and religious and any violation of the constitution by the government will have dire consequences on the country as a whole as well as the entire region.

[Occasional Brief Observations] Occasional Brief Observations: Iraq provincial elections..: Tribes of Iraq - 4.5% The Group of Scholars and Intellectuals - 3.3% Justice Movement - 3.2% National Bloc - 2.3% Constitution Party - 2%. BABIL.

[The Washington Institute for Near East Policy] With 90 percent of the votes tallied, Iraq's new political ...: The biggest loser in the south was al-Maliki's main rival, the Islamic Supreme Council in Iraq (ISCI), which took a drubbing. It lost ground in every southern province and in Baghdad, where it came in fifth with a mere .

[GlobalSecurity.org] Iraqi Voters Go To The Polls: A correspondent for RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq, Adel Mahmoud, reported from Baghdad that spirits among residents and voters were "very high" around midday, with sunny skies contributing to the possibility of a high turnout in a vote that is seen as a bellwether for the national mood and a possible breakthrough in local governance for Iraqis.

[Obsidian Wings] Obsidian Wings: The Election Biden Lost: While Maliki and Dawa did make an effort to tone down the Islamist rhetoric, the success of his list had more to do with its emphasis on supporting the centralist/nationalistic positions (demanding a firm withdrawal date for US forces, pushing for a strong central government and resisting Kurdish/ISCI attempts to devolve more power to federal regions) than some phantom embrace of secularism.

[Baghdad Bureau] Election: Preliminary Results - Baghdad Bureau Blog - NYTimes.com: Tawafiq/Iraqi Accordance Front: A coalition of Sunni Islamist parties dominated by the Iraqi Islamic Party, a long time opponent of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party. The main Sunni coalition dominated by Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi and Adnan al-Dulaimi.

[SWJ Blog] 6 February SWJ Roundup (SWJ Blog): A coalition headed by Mr al-Maliki had landslide wins in Baghdad and Basra, the country’s two most important provinces. His State of Law coalition also came out on top in seven other predominately Shia provinces in southern Iraq, beating the rival Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (ISCI) in a triumph for secular politics over religious groups.

[Truck and Barter] Truck and Barter: Dinar and Discussion for February 2009: Prime Minister Barzani outlined the main elements of the KRG’s agricultural strategy: apply modern technology, reform land allocation and ownership, encourage people to return to the land, organise and develop the entire agri-business cycle from production to marketing, promote investment, and benefit from foreign expertise and institutions. A budget of 10.4 billion US dollars has been proposed for the five-year plan.

[Jon Taplin's Blog] Unintended Consequences in Iraq « Jon Taplin’s Blog: I can reconcile hoping that no more American soldiers get killed in Iraq without wanting them to be there. I see the war as a traitorous misuse of military power by a government that has misled the American public to scam support for this exercise in futility.

[Little Alex in Wonderland] Dissenting HR 34 « Little Alex in Wonderland: This is a major case of overkill, and if one compares the Palestinian dead on a per capita percentage basis, it would be like 177,500 Americans dying over the last couple weeks, which is quite a bit larger than 9/11 (under 3000) and our Iraq-Afghanistan campaigns (about 5000).

[Informed Comment] Informed Comment: Top Ten Myths about Iraq 2007: ' Most of the recent survey results he has seen about political reconciliation, Warshaw said, are "more about [Iraqis] reconciling with the United States within their own particular territory, like in Anbar. But it doesn't say anything about how Sunni groups feel about Shiite groups in Baghdad." Warshaw added: "In Iraq, I just don't hear statements that come from any of the Sunni, Shiite or Kurdish groups that say 'We recognize that we need to share power with the others, that we can't truly dominate.' " ' ' The polling shows that "the Iraqi government has still made no significant progress toward its fundamental goal of national reconciliation."

[Winds of Change.NET] Inside Baseball and Basra: CTA Panel - Winds of Change.NET: I recommend looking at the Iraqi situation one month ago when Sadr was viewed as the proverbial other shoe, Basra was under control of militants hostile to the government (including the only significant ports in all of Iraq), and Maliki was considered a purely sectarian puppet (of Sadr's depending on who you asked) with no support from the Sunni or Kurds. The situation on the ground has materially changed on all those counts, dramatically changed in fact.

[Pajamas Media] Pajamas Media » Sadr Rages Against Iran: ISCI, which is led by Ayatollah Abdul Aziz al-Hakim has the support of middle and upper class Shiites in Iraq, while Al Sadr’s Mahdi army has the backing of poor Shiites. Al Sadr is not only upset because ISCI has decided to turn its guns against fellow Shiites, but also at the fact that ISCI has been the recipient of a larger amount of aid from Tehran than his organization.

Reflected tags on Technorati: Blog, Iraq Constitution, Iran Reviews