Sick of Their Government

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/23233

Sick of Their Government
Submitted by davidswanson on Sat, 2007-06-02 21:09. Media

By Ali al-Fadhily, Inter Press Service
http://dahrjamailiraq.com

BAGHDAD, Jun 1 (IPS) - Reports of the poor health among high-ranking Iraqi politicians are being seen as symbolic of the popular mood here about the U.S.-backed government.

In late February, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani was flown to neighbouring Jordan for medical treatment amid conflicting reports about his health. Sources in Amman and from Talabani's office in Baghdad told reporters that the 73-year-old had suffered a stroke, but in a televised interview his son said that Talabani was suffering from fatigue or exhaustion.

Meanwhile, Shi'ite leader Abdul Azizi al-Hakim, leader of Iraq's largest Shia party, recently arrived in Iran for treatment for lung cancer after being diagnosed at a hospital in the southern U.S. state of Texas.

This development, in particular, is expected to create chaos within the Supreme Islamic Council in Iraq, the political organisation the George W. Bush administration has counted on to push through legislation, particularly regarding the new Iraqi oil law.

The ailments of their leaders are not just perceived as physical by many Iraqis.

"It is a sick government right from the start and these people's absence shows the huge size of the chaos in Iraq," Waleed Zaidi, a political analyst in Baghdad told IPS. "The truth about rumours does not count as much as the solid fact that all those who are supposed to lead the country to stability are abroad for different reasons. A close look at the Iraqi scene shows that no one is really working to improve the situation."

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