The Return of Jafaari
You know, the Sadr-supported divisive prime minister of Eye-Rack, Ibrahim al-Jafaari, might have bucked down under intense pressure from other partisan groups. But the way the Bush administration, who on foreign policy are so stupid they couldn't pour piss from a boot if the instructions were written on the heels, had to stick their necks in, giving Jafaari an opportunity to play the hero and stand up to the Crusaders:
Iraqis Say Rice Trip Stiffened Premier's Resolve to StayBy KIRK SEMPLE
Published: April 5, 2006BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 5 — The visit here this week by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her British counterpart, Jack Straw, only served to stiffen the resolve of Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari to retain his post, prolonging a deadlock in the formation of a new government, a top aide to Mr. Jaafari said today.
The aide, Haider al-Abadi, said the visit was ill-timed, counterproductive and what he called "naked intervention."
"Pressure from outside is not helping to speed up any solution," he said. "All it's doing is hardening the position of people who are supporting Jaafari."
He added, "They shouldn't have come to Baghdad."
His comments were echoed by other leaders across the political spectrum today, including Kurds and Sunni Arabs.
"They complicated the thing, and now it's more difficult to solve," said Mahmoud Osman, an independent member of the Kurdistan Alliance, speaking of Ms. Rice and Mr. Straw. "They shouldn't have come and they shouldn't have interfered."