10/13/2021

impeachment

if you're not watching 'impeachment' on 'fx,' get started on it.


tonight's episode was amazing.  it was when the starr investigators trapped monica lewinsky in the hotel to try to get her to flip on bill clinton.  


it was the best episode so far.


we may be pretty much done with the linda tripp character.  if so, that's too bad because sarah paulson is amazing in the role.


pretty much every 1 is great - except clive owen.  i love him in other things but he's awful in this.  (he plays bill clinton.)


i can't recommend this strongly enough.  and sarah paulson deserves another emmy.


let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'


 Wednesday, October 13, 2021.  As the vote count in Iraq is still 'preliminary,' distrust grows.



Sunday, elections took place in Iraq.  Sinan Mahmoud |and Mina Aldroubi (THE NATIONAL) write:


Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission has confirmed that the manual count for a sample of polling boxes matched the initial results released on Monday.

It has moved to reassure sceptics of Sunday’s national election result, which were based on an electronic tally.

[. . .]

The turnout, 41 per cent, was the lowest participation in any Iraqi election since 2005, underlining the growing disappointment among Iraqis towards a political system that is widely seen as broken.

In the 2018 election, the turnout was 44.5 per cent.


Was the turn out even 41%?  Who knows.  It wasn't a fair and free election.  For example?  You have mainstream outlets reporting the purchasing of votes.  You have Human Rights Watch calling -- for weeks -- for efforts to be made for the disabled and challenged to vote -- the Iraqi government did nothing to adopt the recommendations HRW made.  You had some candidates who were intimidated into not campaigning due to threats that only increased when they attempted to report them.  Some point to one group of militia members not being allowed to vote in early voting (which was last Friday).  The regulations forbade them from early voting because they did not have the right paperwork.  If you were the security forces, you were dispersed throughout Iraq on election day (Sunday).  If you did not early vote on Friday, you had to travel to wherever you were stationed on Sunday, work your full shift and then return to your home to vote.  This was not possible for some and that is the reason security forces are among the groups allowed to early vote.

All of this and much more has led to a growing distrust of the results.  CNA notes:


Two days after Iraq's legislative election, pro-Iranian Shiite Muslim parties and armed groups on Tuesday (Oct 12) denounced early poll results as "manipulation" and a "scam".

Sunday's election - the fifth in the war-scarred country since the 2003 US-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein - was marked by record low turnout of 41 percent.



Zaid Tweets:


The number of voters in Iraq's elections is 67 million, according to the Electoral Commission website. This means that the population of Iraq is approximately 130 million. Iraq's population is 40 million #Iraq_Election_Fraud
Image
7:39 AM · Oct 12, 2021


I see the image above all over MENA social media.  I do not, however, see it at the High Electoral Commission's website.  Doesn't mean it's not there.  (And I only traveled through the Arabic version, I didn't go into the English portal.)  I do see this page.  It notes that, as of April 2020, there were 24,907,679 registered voters in Iraq. 


I'm not saying the above image didn't (or doesn't) exist at the commission's website.  I couldn't find it.  Maybe I missed it.  Maybe it was pulled as it began to trend on social media.  Or maybe it is a fake.


That it is being spread so widely goes to the fact that the public does not trust the results or the government.    


In the US, the elections are being downplayed by the press.  Government press briefings either have no questions about Iraq or just one.


For example, yesterday's US State Dept press briefing by spokesperson Ned Price:



QUESTION: (Inaudible.) First, do you have any comment on the Iraqi parliamentary election? And how do you view that – that Moqtada al-Sadr won and the defeat of popular mobilization forces?

MR PRICE: So when it comes to the Iraqi elections, we congratulate the Iraqi Government on having fulfilled its promise to hold early elections. We are pleased the – we are pleased that the election days were largely conducted peacefully. We have seen the preliminary results announced by the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission, and we’re awaiting for the final certified results. So we’ll – we will omit judgment until then. But these elections included hundreds of international monitors and observers from the UN and the EU, in addition to thousands of domestic observers. We look forward to reviewing their reports.

Once the final results are certified, we hope that the new Council of Representatives members will form a government that reflects the will of the Iraqi people, and which can work to address Iraq’s governance, security, and economic challenges.

When it comes to Moqtada al-Sadr, again, we’re waiting for final results. We don’t want to prejudge the outcome. But we do look forward to working with the new government once it is formed.


And yesterday's White House press briefing by spokesperson Jen Psaki:


Q  What does it take -- what does it take -- sorry, quick question: What does it take for the White House -- on the Iraqi election, there’s a lot of changes. Some Iran -- pro-Iran groups are saying this is not a fair election. So, what is the take of the White House?
 
MS. PSAKI: Sure.
 
Q  Thank you.  
 
MS. PSAKI: So, we congratulate the Iraqi government on having fulfilled its promise to hold earlier elections. We are pleased that the election days were largely conducted peacefully. We’ve seen the preliminary results announced by the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission yesterday and are waiting for the final certified results.
 
These elections included hundreds of international monitors and observers from the U.N. and EU, in addition to thousands of domestic observers. We look forward to reviewing their reports.
 
Once the final results are certified, we hope that the new Council of Representative members will form a government that reflects the will of the Iraqi people and which can work to address Iraq’s governance, security, and economic challenges.
 


It was only at yesterday's  John Kirby's press briefing at the Defense Dept  that a follow up question on Iraq existed.


Q:  John, I want to ask a question about Iraq in light of the initial results of -- of the elections? And this is not a, you know, political question. It's related to the security of Iraq and the security of U.S. forces. So the so-called Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee, basically groups that -- some of the groups that were targeting the U.S. forces in Iraq, are claiming that the elections have been manipulated...

MR. KIRBY:  That had been?

Q:  Manipulated.

MR. KIRBY:  OK.

Q:  And that the elimination of the BMF will "only serve," quote-unquote, the American occupation.

MR. KIRBY:  Thelevation?

Q:  The elimination of the BMF.

MR. KIRBY:  Elimination.

Q:  Based on -- on this statement, and the -- and the initial result -- results, are you concerned that this could usher a new wave of -- of targeting U.S. forces in Iraq?

MR. KIRBY:  Well, I mean -- so a couple of thoughts. First, we congratulate the Iraqi government on having fulfilled its promise to hold early elections. And we're pleased to see that the election days were largely conducted peacefully. We've seen preliminary results announced by the Iraqi government. I'm sorry, the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission, and we're waiting for the final certified results. Once those results are certified, it's our hope that the new Council of Representatives will form a government that reflects the will of the Iraqi people and will work to address Iraqi's governance, human rights, security, and economic challenges. We, from a security perspective, we are still partnering with the Iraqi government and the Iraqi security forces in an effort to continue to put pressure on ISIS. That's the focus. That's what we're there for. And we are still in technical talks with Iraq about what that looks like going forward.

As a part of our presence there, yesterday, as today, we still maintain the right of self-defense. And so we obviously don't want to see, as a result of these elections or any other event, we don't want to see violence increase. We certainly don't want to see attacks or threats on our troops. But our commanders have the right of self-defense; they have the capabilities to defend themselves if they need it. Again, they're there predominantly to -- to help the Iraqi security forces improve their capabilities against ISIS. That's the mission.

Q:  (OFF-MIKE) and since you talk policy and politics...

MR. KIRBY:  I did not. I was just congratulating the...

Q:  No, no, you said more than that. I love it to ask this question. Clearly, the -- some of the militias and -- and political groups were associated with -- with Iran or supported by Iran. And some of these groups were targeting the U.S. forces. They didn't do well in -- in the elections based on that preliminary results. Is that -- is that a message from the Iraqi people to the -- to Iran and the militias that -- that resulting to violence is not the answer inside Iraq...

MR. KIRBY:  Well, it should never -- it should never be the -- the answer. Violence should never be the answer. But again, as for the exact results and what they mean, we're not going to prejudge those results because they're -- they're still -- the preliminary results -- all we've seen, they have not been certified. OK?


Preliminary results were stressed at all three.  For any who missed it, the ballots were supposed to be counted and complete by the day after voting.  Even now, the votes are still not all counted (the estimate as this is dictated is that 90% of the ballots have been counted).


This rejection of the count is a major story.  FRANCE 24 reports on it.



ALJAZEERA also reports on this as well.



Nouri al-Maliki is questioning the vote and were it just him?  You could dismiss it.  This is his pattern.  But the other officials questioning?  This is something new for them.  The Iraqi people are also more suspect of the count than they have been in previous elections since the US-led invasion of 2003.


MIDDLE EAST EYE's Nabil Salih discussed the election on yesterday's DEMOCRACY NOW!:

NABIL SALIH: Good morning, Amy. Thank you for having me.

And, well, thanks to the United States of America, every government that’s ruled Iraq after the barbaric invasion and occupation of 2003 has either killed or failed miserably in protecting Iraqis. So, Muqtada al-Sadr is no different. In fact, the protesters on the ground, as reported by both local and international media, remember all too well that his followers during the October uprising, that started in October 2019, have not only stabbed activists but also shot at them, for example, in Najaf and Karbala. And, of course, that is all dormant, because as a powerful guy who has his own militia, it is not easy to touch him. So, imagine. And, of course, let’s not forget the role Jaysh al-Mahdi, his militia, played in what our colleagues in the Western media like to call a civil war. Yes, Jaysh al-Mahdi terrorized and abducted and displaced Iraqis, and no apologies. Now the same guy, you know, had the most seats in this election.

So, you know, I fear for the future of Iraq, not only that the previous men in suits were any better. You know, for example, take Mustafa al-Khadimi, who is a favorite of Western media. People still got killed and abducted, assassinated and terrorized during his tenure. So, yes, I think I will quote Muhammad Mahdi Al-Jawahiri, the greatest Arabian poet, by saying, ”I see a horizon lit with blood / And many a starless night / A generation comes, another goes / And the fire keeps burning.” So, yes.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, Nabil, I wanted to ask you: To what do you owe, though, the continued growth of support, at least in this election, for al-Sadr? Is part of it that he’s been walking this tightrope between those forces in your country that continue to support or be under the direction of the United States versus those who support Iran and others that maybe are supportive of more Sunni activists supported by other Middle East states? Is he seen as one of the few leaders pushing for Iraq independence?

NABIL SALIH: Well, it is important to remind that the shipped-in crooks who ruled after the invasion don’t speak the language of the people. They speak in a different tone. Muqtada al-Sadr speaks in their language. He is one of them. He’s a populist. He speaks like any other ordinary citizen during his media appearances. And people like that, especially, for example, in eastern Baghdad in the area that is loyal to him.

But also, the fact that he won so many seats goes back to the fact that the rest of Iraqis, who don’t follow him, actually don’t bother going to vote, because it doesn’t make a difference. Like I said, Iraqis will still be killed, and the next government will still fail them, fail to protect them, and enable their necessary death that started long way back in '91. So, yes, and it is important also to notice that in his speech that you just aired, the tone that he speaks in, it's threatening. So, imagine someone whose first speech — who speaks in this tone in his first speech.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And these elections only came about because of an unusual protest, mass protest movement that developed. Some of the supporters of the protests did gain a few seats. But do you think —

NABIL SALIH: True.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: — that, overall, it was advisable for these elections to occur, because — now that we see the results?

NABIL SALIH: Well, the elections has more to do with making this regime and this system look good than responding to the demands of the people, because it was — I was covering the protests and, if not covering the protests, then protesting myself. And I saw every banner that was hoisted on al-Tahrir Square in Baghdad. And it was one of so many other demands, including basically respect and bread and accountability. And so, yes, it is more of making the system look good.


The following sites updated:





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10/12/2021

t.v. has gotten worse for women

well it was a weird monday. nothing to write about tv wise with both 'dynasty' and 'animal kingdom' having wrapped up for the season. i really haven't seen anything i love, love, love. i am enjoying the show on fox on tuesday nights - 'our kind of people.' i'm also interested in abc's upcoming 'queens.'

but i would argue this is a really disappointing t.v. season. it's hard to say exactly which new program is the worst thing airing on t.v. because the networks are offering such unwatchable garbage.

it's a shame that ava and c.i. are the only critics who bother to note how little women are part of these fall presentations. year after year, it's them. and then when spring rolls around, some terry-gross airhead will show up and say 'oh, i just noticed that last fall there were no shows led by a female star.

i also remember how, in previous decades, we thought we had it bad in terms of women's programming but, looking back, it was nothing compared to how bad it is today. the early 80s? you had nell and addie on 'gimmie' a break' and you had kate and allie on 'kate and allie.' i'd kill to have that kind of friendship between 2 women on a sitcom today. women really don't exist as leads. i think we got fooled previously because of all the heavy lifting shond rhimes did on this - we didn't realize tht things were already going badly. but with her 'scandal,' 'how to get away with murder,' 'private practice,' et al we were not seeing how poorly things were getting.

sunday nights? cbs has queen latifah in 'the equalizer.'

monday nights? there is no show with a female lead.

tuesday nights? there's abc's 'the bachelorette' and fox's 'our kind of people.' (next week, abc will start airing 'queens.')

wednesday nights? there's the cw's 'batwoman.'

thursday nights? abc's 'grey's anatomy' and 'big sky.'

friday nights? the cw's 'nancy drew.'

if you don't realize how bad that is, let's drop back to fall 1976 when there was only abc, cbs and nbc.

sunday nights? abc had 'nancy drew.' cbs had ;the sonny & cher' show. (cher was the show. that was obvious when sonny went solo.)

monday nights? cbs had 'rhoda' and 'phyllis' and 'maude.'

tuesday nights? abc had 'laverne & shirley.' nbc had 'police woman.' cbs had 'one day at a time.'

wednesday nights? abc had 'the bionic woman' and 'charlie's angels.' cbs had 'alice.'

thursday nights? abc had 'the nancy walkershow.'

nothing on fridays.

saturdays? cbs had 'the mary tyler moore show.'

13 programs in the fall of 1975. if we're generous we can pretend that there are 8.

let's not pretend that things are better.

 by the way, check out ava and c.i.'s 'TV: The Franceses Are Alwyas Lying.'


let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'


Tuesday, October 12, 2021.  The Iraqi elections continue to divide Iraq.


Sunday, Iraq held elections.  Turnout was incredibly low.  Ahmed Habib makes an interesting observation on Twitter:


One can’t spend the entire time saying, “#Iraq’s government are incompetent, they’re thieves, they kill with impunity,” and then turn around and say, “I believe that the elections which they administer are fair.”
6:36 AM · Oct 12, 2021


REUTERS transcribes:


Shia Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's party was the biggest winner in an Iraqi election on Monday, increasing the number of seats he holds in parliament, according to initial results, officials and a spokesperson for the Sadrist Movement.

Former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki looked set to have the next largest win among Shia parties, initial results showed.
Iraq's Shia groups have dominated governments and government formation since the US-led invasion of 2003 that toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein and catapulted the Shia majority and the Kurds to power.


Don't you love the garbage that passes for journalism?

The election was an embarrassment.  It was a failure in every way.  So the press tries to distract.  The low turnout was hard to ignore.  So instead we got a 'major' arrest that was nothing -- even if the claims were true -- that tried to crowd out the news of the low turnout  -- news that was still in the news cycle.  Now along comes REUTERS to tell us the possible results.  Still need to be checked.  They transcribe what they were told beautifully but I thought REUTERS was a news service, right?  Not a transcription service.  


For over two weeks, we have noted that Dilan Sirwan (RUDAW) has reported: "Iraq’s electoral commission aims to announce the results of the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 10 within 24 hours, they announced on Thursday following a voting simulation."


The elections were Sunday and today is . . . Tuesday.  And they didn't announce a winner, they announced "initial results" late Monday.   

The election was a failure in every way.  And with record low turnout, they still weren't able to announce results "within 24 hours."


A failure and REUTERS can't even tell you that because they're too busy checking their stenography to actually report.


Predictions of a low turnout were accurate.  Predictions that nothing would change due to the election were accurate.  


If 'initial' results hold (they don't increase and they do not lower), Moqtada al-Sadr's bloc has 73 seats in the new Parliament.  That's an increase of 19 seats from the previous Parliament.  (Moqtada himself does not have a seat in the Parliament, he did not run for office.)  That's if the results hold.  EL PAIS notes that the results are already being disputed:


Kataeb Hezbollah, one of the main pro-Iranian militias, has rejected the election results. In a statement, its leader, Abu Ali al Askari, urges the Popular Mobilization Forces (FMP, the umbrella that groups all the militias) to be ready to defend their “sacred entity”. He also asks the political parties to solve “the stolen votes.” His words would be a tantrum if they did not come from a powerful armed group with a long history of intimidation and attacks, which the United States and other countries consider a terrorist organization.


PRESS TV adds:


The leader of Iraq's Fatah (Conquest) Alliance political coalition has dismissed the preliminary results of the of the country’s recent parliamentary elections, describing them as “fabricated.”

“We will not accept these fabricated results, whatever the cost,” the Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network quoted Hadi al-Amiri,  the secretary general of the Badr Organization, a political party close to Hashd al-Sha’abi, as saying on Tuesday.

He added, “We will defend the votes cast for our candidates and voters with full force.”

Separately, the Coordinating Committee of Shia Parties in Iraq rejected the results of the national elections, and raised strong objection over what it described as the High Electoral Commission’s failure to honor its obligations.

The committee is comprised of Fatah Alliance, the State of Law Alliance, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq political party, Kata'ib Hezbollah as well as other Shia factions.


Former prime minister and forever thug Nouri al-Maliki has a history of disputing election results.


AL ARABIYA Tweets:


Hadi al-Amiri, one of #Iraq's most powerful pro-Iranian figures, has rejected the results of Iraq’s elections as “fabricated.”
english.alarabiya.net
Iraqi pro-Iranian politician Amiri rejects election results as ‘fabricated’  | Al Arabiya English
Hadi al-Amiri, one of the most powerful pro-Iranian figures in Iraq, has rejected the results of
6:45 AM · Oct 12, 2021



Suadad al-Salhy and Alex MacDonald (MIDDLE EAST EYE) write:

Leading Shia parties in Iraq have announced their collective rejection of the results in Sunday's parliamentary elections, after the initial evidence appeared to suggest a collapse in their vote share.

The Fatah alliance, which is composed of supporters of the country's al-Hashd al-Shaabi militia movement, in particular denounced the results as "fabricated" while one armed militia faction appeared to threaten violent action in response.

According to initial results released by the Iraqi High Electoral Commission (IHEC), the Sairoun movement led by cleric Muqtada al-Sadr came out ahead with 73 of the parliament's 329 seats, in what had been an election with a record low turnout of 41 percent.

In a statement on Tuesday, Hadi al-Ameri, leader of Fatah, called for a joint response against the election results from other Shia political factions.

"We do not accept these fabricated results, whatever the cost, and we will defend the votes of our candidates and voters with full force," said his office.



Sallon Helene (LE MONDE) notes that Nouri's State of Law, by preliminary results, has won 37 seats while, in the KRG, the Barzani family's KDP is the victor.  This means the PUK continues it's slide into irrelevance.  Possibly all these years of Jalal Talabani's sons flaunting their wealth and homes overseas (including in the US) -- mansions, really, returning to Iraq whenever they wanted to condemn the Kurdish people for attempting to envision an independent Kurdistan, hasn't paid off?  Or maybe the Kurdistan is still repulsed by the Talabanis and their PUK for lying to them and the entire world after Jalal had his infamous stroke and held onto the office of president despite the fact that he was incapacitated -- a detail the Talabanis got around to a degree by posing his non-moving body for staged photographs?

A winner per preliminary counts is former Speaker of Parliament is Mohammed al-Halboussi who, Helene notes, faced a serious challenge from Khamis al-Khanjar.

Shelly Kittleson Tweets:

Though much focus has been #Sadr in #Iraq's elections, parliamentary speaker #Halbusi's (photographed here with me during 1 of 2 interviews I did with him in 2018) party has seen the largest rise in seats. I recently wrote on Sunni parties for
@AlMonitor
: al-monitor.com/originals/2021
Image
6:31 AM · Oct 12, 2021


In other news, Ray Odierno has passed away.  US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issued the following over the weekend:

Charlene and I were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of General (Ret.) Ray Odierno.

Ray was a teammate, a confidant and a powerful example to me. Mostly, he was my friend. And I will miss him dearly.

My thoughts — like those of everyone who knew him — are squarely with Linda and their children and grandchildren. We know we cannot assuage their grief, but we hope Ray's strong legacy of leadership brings them some measure of comfort.

Throughout nearly four decades in uniform, Ray Odierno served his country with great dignity and courage.  He led bravely in peace and in war.  And he mentored an entire generation of future leaders.

Ray was known for his loyalty — to mission and to his people. He cared deeply about the troops who knew him as "General O," and he and Linda looked after the families of those troops as if they were their own. From training and equipment to mental health and education, the Odiernos remained tireless advocates for the health and welfare of those who serve.

As our 38th Chief of Staff of the Army, Ray also worked to forge what he called an "Army of the future"— a force that was agile, innovative, adaptable, and led by leaders of character and commitment.

The United States Army, indeed our nation, is stronger for his dedication, professionalism, and leadership.  I know that I am a better person for having had his friendship.

On behalf of the men and women of the Department of Defense, I extend my deepest condolences to Linda and the entire Odierno family.

 

Odierno served in Iraq from 2008 to 2010.  He was the top US commander in Iraq (Lloyd Austin served under him).  He restored morale among US troops and also had a good eye for seeing events others didn't notice.  Prior to the 2010 elections, he had stated that the US needed to plan for what might happen in Nouri lost the election and refused to step down as prime minister.  Nouri did lose the March 2010 elections.  And he did refuse to step down.  For over eight months, it was a political stalemate.  Had a plan been formed when Ray raised the issue, things would have been a great deal different.  

He e-mailed this site frequently.  When in Iraq, it was often via his assistant who would open with "The general wishes to correct . . ."  He continued to e-mail after he left Iraq.  I never replied while he was in Iraq.  We took what he said and looked at it and did a correction or clarification if one was required.  After he was out of Iraq, we had many lively exchanges and I was impressed by the fact that the Iraqi people were not forgotten by him.  We disagreed on many things but it was clear in his writing that he cared about the Iraqi people.  

If you're new to the site, I avoid private conversations with people who are covered here.  That's reporters, that's whomever.  So I did not reply when Ray Odierno was in Iraq.

Of the US commanders who wrote over the years, he was always clear in what bothered him if something bothered him -- and clear in the one or two times he felt we got something right that others were missing.  It wasn't a vague e-mail that quickly became a testimony to themselves.  Think about the one who got into big trouble with his e-mails -- and that was with his biographer -- and you'll know which blowhard I'm referring to.  

When he communicated, his concerns were those serving under him and the Iraqi people.  If he was prone to vanity, he never demonstrated it in e-mails.  Again, we disagreed on many things, but he always came off as someone you'd like to know and spend an afternoon talking with.




The following sites updated:





 
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