France to Help Pakistan Nuclear Program. What About A Q Khan? Iraq’s al-Maliki Sees Real Majority Rule
Sarko goes nuclear on Pakistan:“French president Nicolas Sarkozy discussed with visiting Pakistani president cooperation in the nuclear field. Sarkozy offered France’s help in improving Pakistan’s nuclear capability in the area of nuclear safety. Pakistan’s foreign minister said that Paris has agreed to supply his country with peaceful nuclear energy…” Aljazeera
Are these people serious? Maybe they can appoint A Q Khan as a liaison for the transfer of French nuclear technology to Pakistan. And how does Carla Bruni fit into all this?
Maliki Listens to Arab Advice:
“Iraqi Prime Mnister al-Maliki says that the division of power with the Kurds and Sunni Arabs after 2003 has been inequitable. He said that now that the country has free elections, the majority should have the political power that reflects the votes…” Midddle East Online
Theoretically he is right: elections should matter everywhere. Except in the Arab world where there are no free elections with one or two exceptions. This will be met with strong opposition from the Sunni Arabs- the Kurds probably don’t care, they are happy in their autonomous northern region.
On the other hands, the Arab oligarchs and despots in the countries around Iraq have been complaining about the nature of Iraqi politics, which assigns quotas to various ethnic and religious groups. Now al-Maliki has listened to them: no more quotas, but elections that determine the power structure. They will complain even louder, given the demographic structure of Iraq. It is, of course not sectarian divisions they are worried about, these Arab oligarchs: they run some of the most inequitable, most sectarian and most tribal regimes in the world.
On the other hand, al-Maliki may be looking for his own personal interests: he wants to remain in power.
Cheers
mhg
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