Iraq: The Good the Bad and the Ugly, Who Killed Mughniya? A Persian Invasion
The good, bad and ugly news from Iraq.
'Imad Mughniya's Iranian widow sings of treachery.
USS Cole, Arabs fleeing Lebanon, playing diplomatic musical chairs.
Jumblatt not doing KP duty on board.
Ahmadinejad, Angelina Jolie, Michael Ware and the Straight Talk Express in Baghdad.
Goodbye 'Qandahar 
Yank patriot Drudge blew Harry's cover Are they still Awakening
Iraq- Up, Down, and Out:
Reports indicate that February of 2008 saw the lowest US casualties in Iraq: only 20 died, only twenty too many. That is the good news.
The bad news is that data from three Iraqi government ministries (Interior, Defense, and Health) show that Iraqi deaths increased by 33% during the same month.
The ugly news is that members of the Diyali Awakening Council are quitting, for now.
FYI: Awakening is another word for "resurrection", n'est-ce pas? There is another Arabic word with the same meaning (awakening=sa'hwa): Ba'ath. Interesting.
The Sunni militias (once, probably current and surely future cut-throats) are going on strike, asking for more money, and the head of the Diyali Chief of Police whom they accuse of "sectarianism", which is an Arab euphemism for being "Shi'a" or "soft on Shi'as" nowadays. They have not offered to return their weapons yet.
Mughniya's Widow Sings:
Arab media (aafaq, alarabiya) quote the widow of Hizbullah leader 'Imad Mughniya that "Syrian authorities" were involved in his assassination last month in Damascus. She said that Syrian refusal to allow Iranian investigators to participate is proof of that- although it is not clear why Iranians should investigate the killing of a Lebanese on Syrian soil. Perhaps because the widow Saadi Badreddin, as reported in Arab media, carries Iranian citizenship. A Saudi newspaper reported that the widow has muttered words about treachery and betrayal before asking to leave Syria for either Beirut or Tehran.
Hizbullah has not commented on this yet. Other media had hinted earlier that an Arab government had cooperated with Israel in the killing. As usual, lots of conspiracy theories around.
This is probably being used in the ongoing inter-Arab negotiations and maneuverings about the next scheduled summit in Damascus this Spring. Some in the Arab media hint at tying attendance to changes in the Syrian position about Lebanon. It is unlikely that the current Syrian regime will break with the Lebanese opposition, or with Iran, because of threats about the summit.
Diplomatic Musical Chairs:
Meanwhile Saudi Arabia has increased "pressure" on Damascus by moving her ambassador from Damascus to Qatar. The Saudis did not have an ambassador in Doha for years in protest as relations cooled between the two Gulf countries. That was partly because al-jazeera TV often discussed embarrassing cases the Saudis preferred were not discussed in public. Now Saudi-Qatari relations have improved, but Saudi-Syrian relations are up the proverbial creek: hence moving the ambassador to Qatar without naming a replacement.
Most Gulf states have asked their citizens to leave Lebanon. Perhaps the sight of the USS Cole has unnerved them. Even the recently-erratic warlord Walid Jumblatt, vocal former admirer of Syrian occupation and hegemony over Lebanon, hasn't asked to volunteer aboard the battleship yet. Most likely they don't need more KP help: they don't peel potatoes in navy kitchens anymore, they come peeled and powdered ready for the pot.
A Persian Invasion:
Meanwhile, all is waiting the visit of Iran's Ahmadinejad to Baghdad manana. Some Gulf media outlets of the moderate New Middle East are grumbling about it, although they seem amused when Mr. Bush makes one of his un-announced visits. They shouldn't: Arab potentates should also visit and brave the amenities of the ancient Abbasid capital- that is how you get to have influence.
Which brings up a (curious) question: why is it that Ahmadinejad announces his visit weeks in advance, but the US President has to do it in stealth? Do they care less about his security in Tehran than the Secret Service does about its boss? Is it because he looks scruffy enough to pass for CNN's Michael Ware in Baghdad?
Ahmadinejad has reportedly refused to stay in the Green Zone. Maybe he fears running into Angelina Jolie, if she is still there. That makes no sense to me either: she is pretty and a very nice and humanitarian lady, not the usual Hollywood narcissistic type. Besides, she was great as Mrs. Smith, but maybe they did not show the film in his neighborhood AMC. They certainly would not show the one about Danny Pearl anywhere between Karachi and Casablanca.
It is a good thing the Not So Straight Talk Express, missing a couple of Republican tires, is not in Baghdad at the same time as the Iranian leader. Otherwise there'd be a good chance for a campaign video clip: and Katie or Fatima bar the door in the Green Zone.
Cheers
mhg
m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com
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