In Iraq, the political crisis continues because Nouri al-Maliki refuses to implement the Erbil Agreement. This contract is what ended Political Stalemate I. Following the March 7, 2010 elections, there were eight months of gridlock because Nouri refused to let the process start since he wasn't going to be able to have a second term (Iraqiya came in first, not Nouri's State of Law). So he dug in his heels and put himself ahead of the country refusing to allow it to move forward until he got his way.
By November 2010, the political blocs were willing to give him a second term provided he agreed to their demands and this is the US-brokered Erbil Agreement.
Nouri gets his second term as prime minister and then refuses to honor the contract.
He trashes it.
And this is Political Stalemate II.
It's gone on forever.
Erbil was the location April 28th of this year when various leaders met up. Among them, Moqtada al-Sadr, KRG President Massoud Barzani, Ayad Allawi (leader of Iraqiya) and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. They were all agreed that the Erbil Agreement had to be honored and it was left to Moqtada to announce that they would move for a no-confidence vote to unseat Nouri as prime minister if he did not implement the already agreed upon Erbil Agreement.
They are now gathering support for the no-confidence vote. Why?
Because Nouri won't implement it. Despite declaring his support for it at the start of May.
The political crisis started because Nouri al-Maliki refused to honor the agreement, refused to abide by the contract. He could end the crisis tomorrow and the threat of no-confidence vote by, as Moqtada has repeatedly noted, implementing the Erbil Agreement.
As puzzling as his refusal to do so is the US' refusal to call for that as well. The US put together that agreement. They gave promises to the ones agreeing to let Nouri have a second term (Nouri was Bush's pet and when Bush left, Barack got custody of him).
Even allowing that he's their passion slave with a captive braclet, what's so difficult about standing up for a contract to be honored?
Why is the US willing to trash its own image to appease Nouri?
----------------
Illustration is a screen snap of Colin Farrell from London Boulevard.