Well, that didn’t last long. What, three days? four?
BAGHDAD — The political standoff over who will become Iraq’s next president dragged on Monday amid accusations that the U.S. was pushing to name its preferred candidate and scuttling an endorsement by the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council.The council had been scheduled to meet Monday, when it was widely expected to nominate its current leader, Ghazi Ajil Yawer, for the largely ceremonial post.
L. Paul Bremer III, who heads the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority, and United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi reportedly support former Iraqi Foreign Minister Adnan Pachachi.
For the second time in two days, Bremer ordered the Iraqi body to postpone its vote, council members and aides said.
“The U.S. must be cooking up something behind curtains,” said Mahmoud Othman, an independent Kurdish council member. “They are interfering with the process. They have no right to do this. It should be done by Iraqis.”
Um, yes, well. Anybody want to explain it to Mahmoud?