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Two things. Allegra has updated her R&R counter. I was beginning to think the sun stayed still for three days over the capital.
Sure sounds like good news to me. Allawi being around, ex PM, key player, and a secular Shiite, has to be a good choice for this job. He will not have to start from scratch. Knows pretty much who can work well with him and be trusted.
Sounds like a big plus to me.
Side NOTE:
I wonder if once the parliament is officially in place, e.g. new ministries take full reign. If there will be a move to suggest some admendments to their constitution. Specifically, one that will band the militas, as apposed to attempting them to integrate into the police/army.
Not to get verbose, but I am sure you folks can see how difficult it would be to integrate them. For a year plus there has been a program where the army has approached some of the militia members (Mahdi/Badr etc.) to have them quit the militia and go into army boot training. I am not sure that program was extend (offered) for police candidates or not.
Point is. The army cannot afford to have some half-as$ed militia bosses control any given sector. As you all are well aware, they would always favor their given constituents, and not really be loyal to the government and all Iraqi.
It will be interesting and perhaps very disturbing to see how this issue plays out. Please do not feel obligated to respond.