Third Estate Sunday Review

The Third Estate Sunday Review focuses on politics and culture. We're an online magazine. We don't play nice and we don't kiss butt. In the words of Tuesday Weld: "I do not ever want to be a huge star. Do you think I want a success? I refused "Bonnie and Clyde" because I was nursing at the time but also because deep down I knew that it was going to be a huge success. The same was true of "Bob and Carol and Fred and Sue" or whatever it was called. It reeked of success."

Sunday, January 08, 2012

As Iraq falls apart . . .

Having started the political stalemates, Nouri al-Maliki decided to top himself and so, as last month ended, he started a political crisis. He did so by attacking political rivals. Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq? Nouri wanted him stripped of his position. Tareq al-Hashemi? Nouri wanted him arrested.

Nouri's paranoia is well known but last week saw crazy that outshone anything he'd done in the past.

The arrest warrants on Tareq? Nouri wasn't involved! It was the judiciary! And they threatened him with arrest if he didn't go along!

The prime minister held hostage by the judiciary?

That's a wild excuse, even for Nouri.

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Illustration is Isaiah's "Here's Nouri."