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Yet Another Lawyer Who Worked at Boggs Boggs & Bates Has Died an Unusual Death
By Nicholas Phillips on Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 8:00 am
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Seriously, wtf was up at the former Boggs firm?
Statistically, it's pretty rare for a 39-year-old to die of cardiac arrest.
That's the first unusual aspect of the death of Wade J. Thomas, a Kansas City-based attorney who passed away on New Year's Day.
The second: He used to work for the law firm Boggs, Boggs & Bates, which....well, there's kind of a pattern.
Consider the bizarre things that have happened to people who've worked at the firm:
December 2006: Ernie Brasier, age 57, is found dead at his desk. At first, it looked like a heart attack. Then the coroner found that tiny bullet hole behind his left ear. No one was ever charged in that murder.
September 2007: Daniel Bennett, age 48, is found dead in his apartment. Autopsy shows the cause was heart disease. According to the Post-Dispatch:
Bennett had worked with Brasier, but some weeks before the murder, he abruptly left the firm, divorced his wife, left the country and then returned.
Brasier had been shot while working on a computer in Bennett's office. Police said at the time that Bennett was not a suspect in the killing.
August 2008: Vincent Venker II, age 51, dies of heart problems. His widow tells the PD: "There's something crazy going on at that law firm."
October 2010: Two pipe bombs (!!!!) go off at South St. Louis home of partner, Thomas Darin Boggs. Later that month, federal agents search the home of another partner, Mark Bates.
January 2011: Boggs seeks a restraining order against Bates, referring to him in court papers as the "prime suspect" in the bombing.
January 2012: Wade J. Thomas, who'd left the firm back in 2008, dies of cardiac arrest at age 39.
(The firm has changed its name to Boggs, Avellino, Lach & Boggs. Mark Bates has since joined Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion).
OK, this is all kind of a stretch. People die. And in general, lawyers aren't exactly paragons of healthy, stress-free living, so it's not that surprising that some have fallen prey to a fatal heart condition.
Heck, even an actress such as Brittany Murphy can die of a heart attack at age 32.
So there's no way Thomas' death is connected to these other ones.
Nicholas Phillips
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100% singer Seo Min-woo has died at the age of 33.
Billboard reports that lead singer of Kpop boyband 100%, Seo Min-woo has died aged 33. The singer passed away at his home in Gangnam, Seoul, after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Seo had been one of the five members of 100% since the group's debut in 2012 and was recognised as the band's leader. Seo also appeared on the 2017 Korean TV reality series The Unit.
TOP Media, Seo's label, posted a statement on their website saying he was found without a pulse in his home. First responders declared him dead upon arrival.
"His family, the 100% members, and the TOP Media artists and staff members are all grief-stricken and in mourning from the unexpected, sad news," the statement reads.
It goes on to describe the singer as "warm hearted".
100% have released four EPs, four single albums and nine singles. Their most recent EP as 'Song For You', released in February.
The Korea Herald reports that 100% are due to perform in Japan in Japan on April 21 and 30 but it is unconfirmed whether these shows will still be held.


Dr. Nüsret – Semahat Arsel International Business Law Implementation and Research Center has been established with the contributions from Dr. Nüsret Arsel and Semahat Arsel, engaged in the field of international business law within the structure of Koç University Law School. The Center focuses on academic activities such as symposiums, conferences, workshops and seminars on fundamental research areas of law. It makes research and scholarly collaborations in the field of international commercial law, e.g. international business transactions, international trade regulations and disputes, merger and acquisitions, international commercial arbitration, trade barriers, joint ventures or corporate governance. The field of activities of the Center extends to legal implementation, profession and research in international private law, business transactions, all fields of economic law, intellectual property and information technology, law of contracts and international sales law, transport law, insurance law and tax law. The Center supports also research in the field of comparative and international judicial studies and alternative dispute resolution.
The Center for Global Public Law is a research hub for the investigation of the effects of globalisation on how we define, defend and practice public law. Koç University Law School has an exceptional range of expertise in the disciplines and sub fields studying the effects of public law under condtitions of globalisation. It covers the core subjects of public law, including constitutional law, administrative law, criminal law, human rights law, gender law, environmental law, public international law and European public law,but adds to it an unrivalled span of research and teaching in international organisations, history of international law, political science of globalisation, sociology and philosophy of public law.
Building on this foundation, the CGPL works to stimulate research and support multidisciplinary collaboration across sub-fields of law and accross disciplines. It acts as the hub of expertise on global public law issues and provides a conduit between the university, policy-makers, judiciary and civil society. We offer an international colloquim series, programme of public events, provide expert analysis and commentary, build up research collobrations and aim to provide an intellectually stimulating environment for researchers at all stages of their careers.


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Mark Cuban says letting Steve Nash go was his biggest mistake as owner
Mark Cuban has owned up to this before — back in 2004 he listened to his doctors, his experts who told him Steve Nash was going to break down and to not bring him back. Nash's body did eventually break down, but not for another decade and in the interim he went to Phoenix, won two MVP awards and ran a system that has altered the NBA landscape (even Gregg Popovich admits to stealing from it).
Cuban was straight forward honest about it speaking to Rolling Stone, telling them it was his biggest mistake as an owner and throwing then coach and decision maker Don Nelson under the bus.
Letting Steve Nash go. I learned an expensive lesson. It took me too many years to realize that for some GMs, their number-one job wasn't winning a championship, it's keeping their job. It's easy to look back and see my mistakes today. I wish I would have been smart enough to know better back then. I loved taking risks to win. Unfortunately some of them were not as educated as they should have been.
What I think was more interesting out of the Rolling Stone Q&A was his honesty that he empathized with Donald Sterling… well, up to the point it hurt Cuban's pocketbook.
Did I empathize with him? Yes. Of course I did. This is an elderly man who grew up in a generation that is night-and-day in how it understood race and culture. And yes, I empathized with him because this was a conversation that took place in his kitchen and he had a right to expect privacy in his home. But none of that excused him from the rules of the NBA. He put the business of the NBA at risk. That is a situation that, while I have been fined, I have never found myself in and don't expect to.
That is the line with Sterling. It doesn't matter where the conversation took place, how owners feared the slippery slope and the rest of it — he had become toxic to the NBA business. Sponsors had pulled out of the Clippers and players would have boycotted games in the fall. It had to change.
You got to love that Cuban admits all that. More owners like Cuban would be good for pro sports in general.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Angel Beats! – 04
Posted by Divine on April 24, 2010	 May 24, 2010 Angel Beats! / First Impressions
Home Angel Beats! Angel Beats! – 04
Durarara!! – 15
Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou – 04
OP2 Sequence
OP2: 「My Soul, Your Beats!」 by LiSA
Watch the 2nd OP!: Download, Streaming ▼
[flv:Angel_Beats_OP2.mp4 550 310]
With Yui as the supposed new lead vocalist for Girls Dead Monster and a revamped opening sequence to showcase her abilities, it was pretty amusing to see her strangle herself to death following the performance. I still prefer Lia's original version of "My Soul, Your Beats", but this version by "LiSA" isn't half bad either. As cool as it was seeing Yui rock it up and come off quite differently than her actual idiotic self, I was still sad to see Iwasawa noticeably gone in the new sequence, which more or less confirms her brief subplot is a done deal. I'm going to miss Sawashiro Miyuki in this series having never heard Iwasawa speak up about the SSS's stupidity, but I must say I love Kitamura Eri's addition as one of the pinnacles of that said stupidity. Sure Eri can do the whole evil bit as Juri Han in Super Street Fighter IV, but when she does the moronic one à la Eve Neuschwanstein, it's a whole new world of awesomeness.
In reality, everyone in SSS is a complete idiot (…minus Otonashi perhaps). It's nice to know that this extends to the girls though, starting with the fearless leader Yuri and trickling down to the likes of Shiina and Yui. In Shiina's case, I thought falling for a cheap trap involving a toy dog was pretty bad, but balancing a broom in her hand for concentration purposes is an all-new level of stupidity. Needless to say, all of the above in conjunction with a baseball tournament out of the blue made this week another gag-filled affair. What was surprising though was how they tried to slip in Hinata's subplot about his past life as a high school baseball player aiming for Koushien.
Over the course of the episode, there were some nice moments when a sense of nostalgia reminded him of his past, but the implication that he died from some questionable drugs that his bitter teammate gave him for causing their loss was a bit too sudden to have any sort of impact. Plus, we're dealing with the goofy Hinata of all people, so I doubt I'd be even close to shedding a tear even if he did end up disappearing. Had he actually fulfilled his regret and moved on, what I probably would've missed is how he abuses Yui for no good reason. Granted, he did put her in enough submission holds to last us for the rest of the season, but it's not often you'll see a guy who would lay the beat down on a girl who gives off a cute cat pose regardless of how stupid she actually may be.
While I'm really enjoying these lighthearted episodes week after week, I'm still a bit puzzled about the direction of this series. I'm not questioning it though so much as wondering when the more dramatic stuff will start coming to fruition. Quite honestly, I'm fine with seeing more of Tenshi and her vice president Naoi (Ogata Megumi) strutting the baseball look, Yuri giving off the villainous evil laugh, and Otonashi going at it with Noda to no end, so the tearjerker Key drama can show up whenever it feels like it. Whether it's sooner or later, it's all good in my books either way.
Note: There was another slight change in the ending sequence this week with the inclusion of Yui mobbing Hinata, so I decided to upload a copy this time around.
P.S. I was out all night and didn't get home until now (~7am), so my apologies if this post isn't very coherent. I think it's all right, but any completed post looks good when I'm lacking sleep.
ED: 「Brave Song」 by 多田葵 (Tada Aoi)
Watch the ED!: Download, Streaming ▼
[flv:Angel_Beats_ED1.6.mp4 550 310]
Watch the Preview ▼
[flv:Angel_Beats_04_Preview.mp4 550 310]
I like rock in general better than pop, but I still liked the old op better, though I agree this one isn't bad either.
Prooof
wow same time but how come you got 1st comment?
The time says you were off by a minute; however, it might have been mere seconds before it was 7:19 a.m.
I agree with your opinions on the OP sequence, divine ^_^
I meant the comment bellow.
I'm sorry >_<
the song fit this ep
I was really nervous that we'd lose hinata and being replace by yui but really happy that he didnt though they lost.
Unrelated question, but did you go to a Grad nite Divine!
sry for the randomness but this is an ok episode. They really need to pick up the pace in this show.
Nope. I've been out of school for 5+ years now.
I was at a friend's with a bunch of others for dinner and the hockey game, but ended up hanging out until morning.
I want to the old OP back, this rock version pretty much ruined the song imo 🙁 I hope it's only a temporary change and they will go back to the previous version next week.
On the other hand, I like Yui, I don't mind her replacing Iwasawa as the lead singer. Also, it was kinda surprising that Hinata's disappearance was prevented, and I'm glad that the series is not going in a direction where every week we'll get to know someone's past and that member will disappear at the end of the episode.
Jurkasz
You're absolutely correct!
I'll blame Jun Maeda for explaining their past, then disappearing when the deed is done.
Benigmatica
I admit that the previous one had a more "nicer" feel than this, you have to admit it fit for the short preview you always see in the OP(somewhere in 0:55-1:05).
just play it at that part and you'll know it does sound a bit better than the previous.
mehh i don't agree i like the new rock OP its really hard for me to even tell its the same song though its got a totally different feel to it.
I was a puppet in the strings of the director. I was watching it and thinking ah another character story will be resolved. Then otonashi actually says what i am thinking: Yo if you win this you won't dissapear will you? I was like lol wtf? And then when the girl interrupted the important moment. I fell down to my knees and thanked the anime gods for providing such entertaining series.
Haha yeah same here
Seximus
October 15, 2020 at 11:21 am	1 year ago
Loved the rock version. Though I already love the original song itself. Must GET SINGLE!!
"but the implication that he died from some questionable drugs that his bitter teammate gave him for causing their loss was a bit too sudden to have any sort of impact. Plus, we're dealing with the goofy Hinata of all people, so I doubt I'd be even close to shedding a tear even if he did end up disappearing."
About that, at first I was annoyed at the small amount of backstory he was getting but I'm a little more forgiving of that now because Hinata is the main character for the prequel light novel that came out before the anime and his backstory was revealed already in that.
garfield15
where can I read that?
First chapter in english:
http://subsmith.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/angel-beats-track-zero-chapter-1-a-rocket-for-two/
@viral
thanks, so it seems hinata is in love with yuri.
wow, thanks amado, we totally wanted to know that before reading it
babawaba
I don't know I think I am going to wait till whole show is done airing to watch it. If I marathon the whole thing in a day I will like it better.
i thought one character will disappear again but failed. good for this anime
Croosboy
hey, try overlapping the old OP with the new one, it's a mix! And it's quite good 🙂
anyway, this ep make me laugh so much XD
and I thought that Hinata will dissapear, only to be ruined by Yui (Lol)
anilovers
Thanks to your suggestion, i tried it and its really not bad. Someone should do a mix on youtube so people wouldn't have to match the songs together each time :p
Zaku Fan
Done, and done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgBKCEnuB8Q
ENJOY THE MELDING!
Zanibas
The video was removed so I made my own version. It's in HD and I hope its in your stardards
Life4Never
opps forgot the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1ziieXmdPo
You both suck. Not seeing it.
sealouse
Try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwS8c_MXHlA
alpharatz
Oh sorry, I actually had to fix it….it was an undesired first try.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve87HYa4alQ
I though Hinata was going to disappear
thank god for that pink haired girl who strangled him
Lucky Hinata is still "alive" =D
more Hinata X Yui…
she's gonna be his savior…does that means Hinata just miss his chance to R.I.P?
FlamingYu
The Opening isnt bad for Yui's Introduction. However, the style reminds me of ToLoveRu for some reason XD
Oh quote of the week said by Yui, "Even Death Can't Cure Idiocy." =D
And here I've hoped that Tenshi would go Homing Mode or something and have Yurippe's punishment to be running 10 laps around the school naked while yelling "Green martians are chasing me". On a more serious note, Otonashi seemed quite genre savvy on the whole "unfinished business" thing. Must be because that they only have 12 episodes.
If the preview is right, then one thing is certain: They're in HELL. Seriously, exams?
Tenshi looks pretty darn good in that baseball cap XD
"it was pretty amusing to see her strangle herself to death following the performance."
i read this and loled =P
shiryoenbou
Was I the only one waiting for angel to pullout an auto homerun bat or something?
How can that hat stay on Tenshi's head? It looks like it's just sitting there not actually being worn by her lol.
https://randomc.net/image/Angel%20Beats!/Angel%20Beats!%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2032.jpg
Probably hiding her Halo XD
innerchihiro
I really don't like the new op. 🙁 Hope it goes back to normal next week.
I don't think the OP this episode should be marked as OP2, more like OP1- Special Rock Remix. Expect to see the beautiful piano OP by Lia return next week minus Iwasawa but plus Yui.
Maybe it's just as good that the SSS (or Maeda himself) has rejected Yui's request to become GDM's new lead singer. We already have an anime band with a girl called Yui as its lead singer. XD
The use of a special OP this episode could be an indication why Maeda decided not to seek Kyo-Ani's collaboration. Despite their prowess with animation quality, Kyo-Ani can be pretty anal when it came to uniformly applying their OP and ED across ALL episodes. The cheerful ED of Clannad After Story sort of ruined the sad mood at the end of some episodes: Show Spoiler ▼
Like Nagisa's or Ushio's first deaths.
For some reason, it just seems all too coincidental that Hinata faced the exact same situation and was given a second chance to redeem himself. Last week, Iwasawa got into a situation in which she managed to play the song of her life and helped her get over her regret. Both times Tenshi was present. It's as though Tenshi is there to "help them" move on.
PS My first reaction at Hinata saying "I need you" to Otonashi was "Wow, that's so gay." Glad Otonashi agrees with me. XDDD (For the record, I have nothing against people who "swing that way". )
Kinny Riddle
This week we have a rock version of the OP, when will we see an orchestral version, like this fan-made one? 🙂
BTW, is it really true this series is ONLY 1 cour? Or is that just tentative? 12-13 episodes seems a waste for a premise this "epic". Especially when the animated version of Maeda's previous masterpiece Clannad lasted for 46 episodes (2 x 22 + 2 extras + Tomoyo and Kyou specials. The final recap doesn't count).
Funny you mention that, because I originally had it listed as "OP1.5". I get the feeling that this is a temporary opening theme/sequence as well, but since it has a notably different sequence with another vocalist, I decided to label it "OP2". I'm still wondering who "LiSA" is though.
Not sure if its the same artist but there is a "Lisa" for the second ED, "tears", in the Gundam Seed Destiny Special Edition. You can find the song in "The Bridge: Across the songs from Gundam Seed & Seed Destiny". Again, not sure if its her but its the only Lisa i know of.
zeroherrera
I found this episode very interesting. It was good to see a protagonist actually have the intelligence to question the situation. Otonashi asking Hinata if he would disappear if they won, then not believing Hinata's retort that he wouldn't doesn't usually happen in these types of anime.
This all made me wonder if Tenshi is using these situations to make the characters disappear, like Iwasawa in the previous episode. Strategically placing people in situations where their dreams/hopes/raison d'etre can be achieved so that they can RIP and disappear.
So Very Odd
Glad I wasn't the only one who thought Tenshi might be responsible for these.
Similarly, could it be Yurippe is sending her SOS, sorry, SSS members to all these missions in order to give them chances to bury their regrets and move on? Though I have no idea if Yurippe is doing these deliberately or unwittingly collaborating with Tenshi on this.
(Damn, not only does Yurippe hugely resemble a certain megalomaniac girl, even her anti-god resistance group sounds very similar to her evil organization. lol )
That's another role that Tenshi could play. I agree that there are many possibilities that this is true. But several things might make this ambiguous whether she setting up the situations or trying to stop them.
1. Main thing is that Tenshi doesn't call herself or better yet, acknowledge that she's an angel. (1st episode)
2. 3rd episode where she seems says why does everyone think I'm the bad guy.
3. 3rd episode where they find out about that she develops her own powers.
4. Tenshi ironically has a normal dorm room
5. The fact that Tenshi wanted to remove the posters, although the rest of the NPC did not.
However there also other questions that pop out
1. Why didn't Tenshi use force.
2. Why is it only now, that this method of disappearance is starting to happen now?
3. Tenshi appears at every operation.
Oh and I do enjoy the prequel light novel 1st chapter. Let's out some insight on the world of Angel Beats!. They have more, but that will be for another time.
The new take on the OP was not very high impact. They way she sang it was like she was holding back. It could had been much better if it was sung with a slighter faster tempo and more full out (not sure how to explain it better).
I'm not sure if the fellow giving hinata drugs had revenge in mind. It felt more like a drug dealer finding someone who was at an emotional low and thus easy prey to get them hooked.
"I'm not sure if the fellow giving hinata drugs had revenge in mind. It felt more like a drug dealer finding someone who was at an emotional low and thus easy prey to get them hooked"
Not necessarily even a "drug dealer." Quite possibly they were performance-enhancing steroids
(perhaps which other members of the team were taking as well), and steroid abuse simply wrecked his health at an early age.
Phew… Really thought for a moment that Hinata would dissapear. I am also thinking of what direction the show is going to, but at least it looks like that they're not going to go with the predictable routinge of erasing a character per week.
KaraKara
My guess is that the writer is building up attachment to the characters and twisting general perceptions around a bit. The first was how fast the lead of Girls DeMo got taken off air (surprise at the speed), followed by a bit of baiting on Hinata following her footsteps immediately on the next episode.
There might be a unifying story later, where we find all the characters are connected to each other by slight threads. Eg, Yuri might have passed Iwasawa performing on the streets regularly, etc
Kitamura Eri is so funny acting stupid like that.This episode was a lot of fun.And yeah it's rare to see a cute girl getting beaten up in anime.I'm sure They did this on purpose so the cutie haters don't hate.I love Yui btw.
Its just me, but did anyone else hear baseball tournament and think "homing-mode." lol. I mean Tenshi is pretty much like a Nagato/Asakura character.
xcswmboy
I'm missing something with this series. Perhaps is the expectation of the real deep sad moments and we got jokes instead. My worry is they are portrait as bakas will the writers be able to turn them around enough to make us shed tears? I'm watching it to suffer; but end up laughing. In Clannad there are fun moments; but you can feel the serious stuff building up by each episode. Here I can't wait for next episode hopping to see Yui in another submission hold or see how she can kill herself again!!
Yes Yurippe is almost a Haruhi doppelganger in looks, craziness and building a club of followers. The slight changes in the OP and Ed are a bit hard to spot is a nice touch to re -watch the whole thing to point them out.
Island Esper
I would have thought that Hinata was about to disappeared. That was so unexpected. Then again, what am I saying, they were bound to do a change up. I'm so glad he's not gone. GO YUI! FOR SAVING THE DAY!… I thought Yui would be more cute like rather then hardcore tomboy. Still cute though.
And now with this weeks analysis
This make me conclude that disrupting the foundation is truly the way they advertise to people about something wrong with the system. I'm surprise that they pulled out the are you going to disappear question. Although honestly, I don't know if he would have disappeared or not. It would have healed his pride as a baseball player, but not his dreams. He would need a revelation like Iwasawa, especially since it can be concluded that even if he failed to catch the ball, that didn't lead to his demise, it was what was given to him by his senpai/senior that probably led into it. The difference here lies, that Iwasawa was cursing at the fact that she could never be with Music or make it her career again, while Hinata was upset not only by not catching the ball, but his peers as well. I think that the time he truly disappears will be where he makes a huge mistake, and everyone tells him it's ok and cheers him on and the moment he feels that peace, he'll disappear. Though, I'm still confused on why they took so long to figure this part of disappearing. Why did it start happening again after Otonashi appear, who knows, as he plays a key role.
I really wanted to see Tenshi play baseball though and I laughed when Yuri acted as the villain. Deep, but mostly light hearted episode. I must say, keep your eyes on the look out. (PS not that much analysis this week, cause, well it was light hearted, I could only examine Hinata situation)
I will not deny the fact that Hinata could have disappeared if it was not for Yui. Do not take what I wrote the wrong way. I'm just pointing out a possible true disappearance for him and possible difference between finding inner peace for Iwasawa and Hinata.
See you all next week!
Haha, that was awesome! I was like "NOO!!! Don't Disappear!" and unexpectedly, Yui save the day not because she wants to save him but to get back all the submission he did to her. Lol!
I'm glad that someone else thought that since it wasn't only by accepting their pasts and regrets, but as well as completing the action like Iwasawa singing and here Hinata nearly catching the ball.
Cherubium
i loved shiina and her broom. i guess maeda likes funny baseball games.
fall3nbs
Tenshi is a pimp.
AuroraFlame
So what happens if you mix Yui and Azusa from K-on? Yui-nyan~
With the questionable drugs, most drugs have a side effect of causing anxiety when they where off, so that would be the most likely reason why Hinata failed to catch the ball.
I didn't expect this show to have so much comedy in it. Not that I mind, since the balance between comedy/action/drama has been done pretty well, and all the stupidity of this episode was hilarious.
I agree with you though, that whole thing with Hinata and the drugs came and went so fast it was almost irrelevant. It's unfortunate they didn't leave a little more time between the gags to give that some actual impact.
Ha, it's a good thing that I happened to get into Ookiku Furikabutte a few weeks ago, elsewise I wouldn't know that they were going for a CALLED game, not a "cold" game. Ah, subs. (Coincidentally, in the Oofuri season that's currently on, the very episodes in which the called game takes place are airing right now. XD)
Anyway, I'm glad Hinata didn't disappear. He's pretty cool (and totally gay for Otonashi). If we're going for a "battle royale" thing, where characters disappear one by one, he might be the last to go before Yuri and Otonashi. Maybe. I'm just saying that from his position in the ending credits, but then I suppose that they're not all that difficult to change, so…
Technically we did get another memory this week. So it's still following the same pattern.
I laughed when Otonashi and Noda played baseball by themselves. It was so funny when Otanashi also imitated Hinata: "He's a real friend, so embarassing, haha." LOL Angel Beats rock!
Turning out to be more of a romantic comedy than drama. Not to shabby either in that respect, except for the fact that I think it's intended to be the latter…
Otonashi is terribly genre savvy to spot the fulfilled-dream-disappearance pattern…
But Yui in the end was the one who saved (?) Hinata…
I'm glad that Yui took the spotlight, she is far better to be in the show than Iwasawa, though I admit Iwasawa had the best voice, Yui's comedic routines and antics are awesome! It definitely makes the show a lot fun to watch, especially since I love Eri Kitamura from all her roles esp. Eve in Needless, she just fits those kinds of roles perfectly.
sure she is there for the comedy but I prefer the "cool,quiet and composed" iwasawa.
but I understand why some will prefer yui because iwasawa disappeared too early for other people to like her character.
Every anime needs a baseball ep!!!
PandAEmiC
And every anime needs a hot springs/ beach ep!!! Maybe in the future eps?
Lmao this episode was so funny and satisfying. At first skim through your post I thought you didn't really like this episode because your were calling everyone idiot but now I understand what you meant.
Seung54
I agree with this plan since yui and her friends didnt help much and yui was the reason they lost(which I forgive because it saved hinata from disappearing)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnGGlUhId_k Tell me what you guys think of the video I made. Its the full version of My Soul played over parts of the anime and some random pictures to fill up time
LeftArrow
I didn't know so many people tried this already. ^^;; But here's my version of blending the two songs. I blended the videos as well. :3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XprGdsRpoXw
Spirit Rubi
I'm surprised they change the ED every episode, but it's a nice touch. And also, I'm glad Hinata didn't disappear; he's a fun character to have around.
I'm surprised you haven't noticed they change the OP every time, too. They include preview flashes of the episode you're about to watch. I suspect you're skipping the OP, aren't you? /ribbing
TehJawknee
I expect tears near the end of this anime.
For the meantime, this is one of the most disorienting this season.
the reason why they dont die i think is that they have some unfinished business. that is why i think they revive since they still have will power in them and that will power might give them powers to
did anyone remember the end of this episode? yurripe was saying "disappear both of you", and i thought she sounded kind of evil and that she really wanted to disappear…any thoughts?
moochi
i thought she sounded exactly like rika from higurashi when she said that.
as for the new op, personaly im more partial to the yui version than the actual normal one. never really liked the piano as the primary instrument, it works better to accompany. if anyones after chapters 2 and 3 of track zero, i uploade them to nyaatorrents yesterday.


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General Economic Policy
Susan Aaronson
James E. Foster
Llewelyn Hughes
Steve Suranovic
Tara M. Sinclair
Tony Castleman
Planting Innovation: Brazilian Agriculture in the Twenty-First Century
Urbanization and Poverty Reduction Conference
2017: Building or Rebuilding Cities for Growth
2016: Sustainable Urbanization
2014: 2nd Urbanization and Poverty Reduction Conference
2013: Bridging Rural and Urban Perspectives
Beijing International Trade and Investment Symposium
Maurice Obstfeld, The Global Economy: Hopes & Fears
China's New Silk Road
DeLisle Worrell Policy Forum
Growth Strategies in a De-Globalizing World
Washington Area International Trade Symposium
by IIEP
Reception to Follow
Elliott School of International Affairs
The George Washington University
1957 E St NW
The Brazil Initiative at the Elliott School of International Affairs and Embrapa, Brazil's distinguished agricultural research and extension federal government agency, have partnered to organize the symposium, Planting Innovation: Brazilian Agriculture in the 21st Century. Abrapa, the Brazilian Cotton Producers Association, and the Institute for International Economic Policy are co-sponsoring this special event.
The co-chairs of this symposium are Mark S. Langevin, Ph.D., Director of the Brazil Initiative and Research Professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs, and Geraldo B. Martha Jr., Ph.D., Coordinator of Labex-Embrapa/USDA-ARS Cooperation Program.
The symposium explores modern Brazilian agriculture, its contributions to national development, and the critical innovations that drive this sector's modernization, productivity increases, and environmental sustainability. Mark Langevin summarizes this sector's recent development:
Brazilian agriculture modernization delivers food security, achieves remarkable increases in productivity, and integrates elements of the national economy through vertical industrialization and global commodity chains. More than any other sector, Brazilian agriculture provides a backstop to national development in good times and bad.
According to Geraldo Martha Jr.:
A key feature behind Brazilian agriculture's achievements, current vigor, and exciting future prospects is the strong emphasis on science-based solutions to cope with challenges and to expand opportunities in associated value-chains.
Planting Innovation: Brazilian Agriculture in the 21st Century brings together scientists, organizational leaders, and policymakers to discuss the drivers of agricultural innovation in Brazil and their impact on agricultural and national development in the twenty-first century. This discussion also examines Brazilian agriculture's role in the world by evaluating the challenges and opportunities related to Brazil's integration within global value chains and associated markets.
Tentative Agenda
2:00 PM Welcoming Remarks
Mark S. Langevin, Ph.D., Director of the Brazil Initiative
2:15 PM Convocation
Brazilian Ambassador to the U.S., The Honorable Sérgio Silva do Amaral
2:30 PM Brazilian Agriculture and the World
Juergen Voegele, Ph.D., Director of Agriculture, The World Bank Group
2:45 PM Innovation, Biotechnology and Brazilian Agriculture
Gerlado Martha Jr., Ph.D., Coordinator, Embrapa Labex-USA
Discussants:
Sandra Milach, Research Director at Dupont-Pioneer
Dan Jenkins, Senior Director for Food & Agriculture at BIO
4:15 PM Coffee Break
4:30 PM Science to Practice: Experiences from the Field
Haroldo Cunha, President of the Brazilian Cotton Institute (IBA)
Discussant:
Eugenio Diaz-Bonilla, Ph.D., Head of Latin America and the Caribbean, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
5:30 PM Future Challenges and Opportunities
Shenggen Fan, Ph.D., Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
5:50 PM Final Remarks
Mark S. Langevin, Ph.D. and Geraldo B. Martha Jr., Ph.D.
6:00 PM Reception
The Institute for International Economic Policy (IIEP), which is located within the Elliott School of International Affairs, serves as a catalyst for high quality, multi-disciplinary, and non-partisan research on policy issues surrounding economic globalization. The Institute research program helps develop effective policy options and academic analysis in a time of growing controversies about international economic integration in many countries around the world. The institute's work also encompasses policy responses for those who face continued poverty and financial crises despite worldwide economic growth. Affiliated faculty have appointments in the departments of economics, history, and political science as well as the law and business schools.
Digital Trade and the Data Driven Economy
Brazilian Trade Policy: Standards and Strategy
Water: Weapon of War or Tool for Cooperation? A...
Comparison of Adaptation and Resilience vs Development...
Reflections on COP21 and the Paris Climate Agreement
Energy Use in Cities: A New Model Simulating Growth...
Why Investing in Nature Makes Economic Sense
Climate Adaptation • General Economic Policy
Why a UN Climate Agreement Will Not Be Reached
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Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work
Harvesting Innovation: Brazilian Agriculture in the Twenty-First Century
The Rise of Patient Capital: The Political Economy of Chinese Global Finance
Hosting on Election Observations and Economic Prospects in Myanmar
Zoey Richards on A Review – Food Price Increases: Causes, Impacts and Responses – Part VII: Price Spikes Policy Solutions
Jian Zhang on The End of Trade as We Know It?
Martha Ritchie on The Night Before Taxes
IIEP on 8th Annual Conference on U.S.-China Economic Relations and China's Economic Development
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Nerdlocker Movie Review: Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Mama's Boys Movie Review: Thor: Ragnarok
by Rebecca Steinberg
Nerdlocker Movie Review: Last Flag Flying
by Chase Gifford 5 years ago 5 years ago
Richard Linklater has one of the most fascinating careers I've ever seen. Every film he takes on is its own creation unsupported by any past works of his. Meaning his aspirations to stay fresh in his career, to not be pigeonholed have never wavered. A school of music, a story of adolescence to manhood, a love story not meant to be somehow coming to life over two decades, a reimagining of a baseball classic; his career is eclectic and enthralling. Last Flag Flying is another addition that is just as poignant as anything he's ever done.
With such an amazing filmography comes the luxury of choosing amazing actors to fill your stories with Oscar worthy performances. Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell, and Laurence Fishburne star in Last Flag Flying and together bring to life a simple story and elevate it into something if nothing else, from ordinary to memorable.
Often times a simple premise can be the most powerful. In the case of Last Flag Flying, three men reconnect since their time served in Vietnam. After thirty years, 'Doc' shows up to seek the help of his long lost brothers in arms, Sal and Mueller. Having all served they understand the importance of unity especially in times of hardship and in one year Doc has lost his wife to an illness and his only son lost his life serving as a Marine overseas.
Having no one else he asks his combat buddies to accompany him to his only son's funeral in Arlington, for a soldier's burial. As details emerge over how Doc's son died, he is ultimately persuaded to forgo a soldier's burial for a civilian funeral where he will be placed next to his mother. Sal and Mueller, despite their constant butting of heads, put aside their differences in the hopes of being there for Doc in his time of need. For one final mission, these retired Veterans catch up on lost time and long forgotten memories, both the good and the horrendous. One last time, they must brave the path before them to complete the most important tasks of helping a father lay his only son to rest and to reflect upon themselves and just what their service meant to them and how it shaped them into the men they are today. Reflection, as they quickly learn, can be a real challenge. Especially when they've spent three decades avoiding it.
Three men come together and clash and laugh and cry their way back into one another's lives and with Carell, Cranston, and Fishburne their chemistry feels authentic. They bring about expressions that emote listlessness as they fall back into a time of war and untethered addictions that ultimately changed their fates and if nothing else, a single decision left them with a taste in their mouths never to be washed out simply because of guilt.
Linklater lets scenes play out and natural emotions envelope the screen despite the scenario being one of fiction. The story is honest enough that everything from their friendship to their friction feels truthful and without question engulfing. Much in the same way many of his previous projects did, particularly with Boyhood, the camera captures moments that feel as if there is no movie, but simply real life caught on a hidden camera. The cast is at the top of its game, the director is a maestro of story and screen and with these and many other elements, this heartbreaking, relatable story is nothing short of profound.
This film aims to reach out and grab you and when it does it's hard to look away even when it dares you to. Embrace the horror of their lives, laugh with them as they remember the good times and be thankful for men and women like them who believed their service was and is for the good of their beloved country. Whether you believe their service is necessary, they do and that should be more than enough. As this film shows, the bullets have stopped for them but the pain is still fresh. Their longing stares into thin air show such loss and unobtainable second chances that you will truly feel for them and anyone, particularly soldiers, who feel lost or in need of a helping hand. The brutality of wars fought can show in many different forms and with Last Flag Flying, their wounds are deeply embedded and ever present, even thirty years later.
Rated R For: language throughout including some sexual references
Genre: Comedy, Drama, War
Starring: Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne
Directed By: Richard Linklater
Out of 5 Nerdskulls
Story: 4.5/ Acting: 5/ Directing: 5/ Visuals: 3.5
OVERALL: 4.5 Nerdskulls
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Bad News Bears, Boyhood, Bryan Cranston, Chase Gifford, Featured, Last Flag Flying, Laurence Fishburne, nerdlocker, Richard Linklater, School of Rock, Steve Carell
Movie Reviews, MoviesBrendan Fraser, Chase Gifford, Darren Aronofsky, Featured, Hong Chau, nerdlocker, Sadie Sink, The Whale, Ty Simpkins


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More to the Story: The Open Mic Podcast with Brett Allan
Taylor Harrington 4/8/2021 7:55pm EST
Brett Allan, from The Open Mic Podcast, joined us for an introspective look at his life behind the microphone. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, Brett was a weekend DJ for a local Christian radio station, where he got his start in interviewing celebrities and various artists. Hosting his own podcast show now, Brett is regularly interviewing celebrities from various films and television shows.
Raising his son as a single dad, Brett still has a great relationship with his son's mother and sees the importance in family and maintaining a joyful household. Joy is a huge part of Brett's life, and he is especially good at connecting with individuals and getting them to recognize the joy in their own journey.
Growing up with his brother, Brett would "play radio" and record songs and pretend to be the DJ. Brett says that listening to other people's stories has helped heal and pave his own. Listen to Brett's story everywhere podcasts are available and subscribe to watch the interview on our YouTube Channel.
Listen to The Open Mic Podcast with Brett Allan everywhere podcasts are available, and find him on Instagram: @BrettsOpenMic .
Malicious Women Candle Co. →
← Quinten Lamar


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Brazil's Eldorado starts work on world's biggest pulp mill, also considers integrated tissue plant
TRÊS LAGOAS, June 22, 2010 (PPI Latin America) - The city of Três Lagoas in the Brazilian Midwest has definitely made its mark on the pulp and paper industry map with a project that will make it the largest pulp producer in the world.
Polish company to produce biochar in Altai Territory
The negotiations between forest holding Altailes and representatives of Ribegla company took place in Altai Territory.
Forestry Groups Take Aim at New EPA Regulations
A recent study commissioned by the National Alliance of Forestry Owners states that a new Environmental Protection Agency rule regulating greenhouse gas emissions will severely limit woody biomass renewable energy projects if implemented as scheduled in January.
In May, the EPA issued a final rule establishing the "Tailoring Rule" to regulate greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere by defining when permits are required for new and existing industrial facilities. The rule is scheduled to go into effect Jan. 2, 2011.
California Enacts New Cap and Trade Program
It has been difficult for the US federal government to pass sweeping legislation that will spur renewable energy development, but California's new cap and trade program shows that states can lead.
Frustration with Ontario's wood supply competition
When the province of Ontario announced a plan in November 2009 to free up 11 million cubic metres of unused wood fibre in the province through a wood supply competition, over 100 value-added wood projects submitted an application.
Swiss Wood Firm To Invest 900 Million Euros In Tunisia
Switzerland-based Global Wood Holding will invest 900 million euros to grow Eucalyptus trees in Tunisia and export the wood to Europe, creating 45,000 jobs reports World Environmemt News. The project will be sited on 160,000 hectares in the Tunisian desert some 500 km (310 miles) sou
Explosion at Pacific BioEnergy's pellet plant in Prince George, B.C.
On Friday night an explosion blasted the Pacific BioEnergy wood pellet plant in Prince George, British Columbia.
Finland to fund sustainable energy from forests in Indonesia
Creation of the Northern Bioenergy Partnership
The Northern Bioenergy Partnership has been created by the B.C. Bioenergy Network, Omineca Beetle Action Coalition, and local bioenergy companies.
World's largest wood pellet plant planned
Vyborgskaya Cellulose, a Russian pulp and paper maker, said that it expected to start producing pellets that can be used in heat and electricity generation from its plant in Vyborg by the end of the year reports Tree Frog Daily Forestry NewsThe plant, located in northwest Russia, wil


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Tag: Iraq
What does Muqtada Al-Sadr want?
Salah Nasrawi , Tuesday 18 Jan 2022
Full of energy and certitude, Al-Sadr is out to remake Iraq's political order in his image, writes Salah Nasrawi
Iraq faces a pressing roster of crises, including government dysfunction, factional tensions, unabated terrorism, and Covid-19 infections that are spiralling dramatically upwards.
But prominent Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr, who has emerged as Iraq's most powerful leader, says he aims for his beleaguered country to end its prolonged misery and halt its tumble into chaos.
To that end, Al-Sadr is proposing sweeping changes to the way the country has been run since the US-led invasion in 2003. But first of all, Al-Sadr needs to be in charge.
Al-Sadr's party was the largest vote-winner in the Iraqi parliamentary elections in October. The party, Saaroon, won 73 seats in the 329-seat parliament, more than any other and up from 54 in 2018. It beat an alliance of Iran-aligned militias led by the Fatah Coalition.
The election victory has given Al-Sadr major influence in the formation of Iraq's next government, and he is relying on that to extend his hold over the country for as long as he deems fit.
Beyond that, no one really knows how he plans to steer the country through its multiple crises.
Al-Sadr, 47, hails from one of the most prestigious Shia religious families in Iraq and is widely seen as one of the most influential Shia political leaders to have emerged from the shadows of the US-led invasion.
For nearly two decades, Al-Sadr has outmanoeuvred other Shia leaders by manoeuvering himself into a position of power and individual prestige within the community. He has reinvented himself not just as the leader of a Shia faction, but effectively as a king-maker.
Al-Sadr has helped form Iraq's successive governments, controlled one of the biggest political blocs in parliament, led a massive movement, and commanded a powerful militia. His power is undeniable, thanks to his grassroots party that is influential in working-class neighbourhoods across Iraq's Shia-populated provinces.
Even more strikingly, Al-Sadr has installed allegiance to the legacy of his late father Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadiq Al-Sadr as the movement's way of thinking. This has given him a platform to exercise more power and greater legitimacy among many Iraqi Shia.
Over the years, Al-Sadr's political strategy has witnessed a sea change that has seen him shift from being a militant Shia cleric who advocates communalism to becoming a populist political leader who champions non-sectarianism in order to help forge a national-unity platform that can reform Iraq's fundamentally flawed political system.
Since his Saaroon bloc came first in the country's 2018 elections, winning 52 seats in parliament, the Sadrist Movement has come to control the Iraqi government. Through appointees in top posts, Al-Sadr has been able to clear government departments of unaffiliated bureaucrats and bring Sadrists in their place.
Through this carefully planned strategy to infiltrate the state apparatus, his followers have been taking up top jobs within local administrations and key ministries such as defence, the interior, communications, oil, electricity and transport.
In addition to being able to dominate Iraq's huge civil service, Al-Sadr's supporters now exert control over the country's financial resources through the state budget and their own economic influence.
They wield enormous power in Iraq's three state-owned banks and even in Iraq's Central Bank.
Al-Sadr's journey towards being Iraq's paramount Shia leader was highlighted in the October parliamentary elections. Since he was declared the winner of most seats in the new assembly, he has refused to form a coalition with other Shia blocs as has been the norm after the polls since the US-led invasion.
Instead, Al-Sadr has been pushing for a "national majority" government that would put his Sadrist faction at the helm of an administration that would bring in Sunni Muslim and Kurdish representatives.
The formula would disfranchise nearly a dozen Shia political groups and their affiliated militias and give Al-Sadr overall authority.
Apart from his declared intention to uproot rival militias and rhetoric about fighting corruption and transcending sectarianism, neither Al-Sadr nor his top aides seem to have a desire to go into details about their strategy.
What Al-Sadr is working fervently to achieve is a dream project that flows from his intention to consolidate his power base among the Iraqi Shia and then to move to tighten his grip on the country as a whole in ways big and small.
To understand what is happening in Iraq following Al-Sadr's bid to impose his model of leadership and ultimately to make it familiar to the region and the world, it helps to understand what Al-Sadr himself thinks, believes, and acts upon.
As Al-Sadr has started to signal his supremacy in Iraq's politics, he has also adopted a more aggressive posture on the national stage, drawing new borders to circumscribe existing Shia power struggles and thus make Iraq well placed for further conflicts.
There is nothing that can explain Al-Sadr's strategy better than his insistence on controlling the next government and running the country's affairs. His worst nightmare is that his Shia foes will maintain their political power and have militias that may fight him over influence and authority in the country.
Therefore, Al-Sadr's two imperatives are to exclude politically affiliated officials from government departments and to stuff them with his own cronies and to get rid of dozens of Shia militias and replace them with his own powerful Jaish Al-Mahdi, or Mahdi Army, a paramilitary organisation.
The death of Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, Iraq's most revered Shia clergyman, could create a tremendous opportunity for Al-Sadr's leadership.
Al-Sadr is not a mujtahid, or scholar of theology, making him ineligible to join those vying for Al-Sistani's succession, but his influence might still be more than that enjoyed by many of the presumed contenders.
In December, Al-Sadr issued guidelines for his supporters in Iraq to follow fatwas, or legal rulings, issued by his late father, who was assassinated in 1999. The instructions are important because they underline Al-Sadr's intention to keep power over the Hawza, or Shia school of theology in the city of Najaf, within his family line.
Meanwhile, the world is watching Al-Sadr's rise with keen interest. Some of Iraq's neighbours and world powers have geopolitical grievances, particularly about Iran's influence and the role of its proxies in Iraq.
World and regional powers have been sending signals of support to Al-Sadr, whom they believe could stand up to Iran and the Iran-backed Shia groups in Iraq.
In recent weeks, the Western media, which used to describe Al-Sadr as a hardliner and a radical, has started to promote him as a moderate politician and the "face of reform in Iraq" in an apparent attempt to accept him as Iraq's next leader.
The New York Times has even dubbed Al-Sadr as an "unlikely US ally."
Al-Sadr may have grand ambitions and the self-confidence to match, but he has yet to show how he will deliver. He has no clear strategy for rebuilding the Iraqi state and nation or for consolidating its democratic and federal system as stipulated in its post-invasion constitution.
Al-Sadr remains a controversial figure, and to many of his critics he is out to remake Iraq's order in his image. For all the bold headlines and focus from the media and the Iraq expert community about Al-Sadr transforming himself into a statesman, he is still a Shia clergyman with a strictly religious agenda that stokes sectarian politics.
When newly elected lawmakers from Al-Sadr's parliamentary group arrived at the inaugural session of the new parliament in Baghdad last week, they donned the white shrouds that Muslims use to wrap their dead bearing inscriptions of Jaish Al-Mahdi on their backs.
The scene was reminiscent of numerous episodes of the rise to power of others, most strikingly the ascent of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 that began the newly established Islamic Republic in Iran.
Sadr's new endgame
Will Sadr be able to continue trying to lure potential allies in light of the fear that is gripping them? As it grapples with that question, Iraq will live in a different sort of hell.Tuesday 18/01/2022
Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr attends a meeting with Shia political leaders in Baghdad, Iraq December 2, 2021. (REUTERS)
The dialogue between the victorious and defeated Shia political parties in the recent Iraqi elections has ended in failure. That was expected. It was also expected that this failure would lead to some armed confrontation.
That confrontation was not expected to take place indirectly. This is however what actually happened when the headquarters of the parties allied with Moqtada al-Sadr were the targets of armed attacks. It is not difficult to pin the blame for these on the militias backing the losing parties in the elections.
The attacks constituted an initial threat to the Sunni and Kurdish parties which have decided it is in their interests to ally themselves with Sadr in a decisive confrontation with the political parties which have clearly lost their popular base, who now owe their existence to the armed might of the Popular Mobilisation Forces.
Today, the picture is no longer ambiguous but the political scene is due to become murkier. Rising violence will rule the next stage. Sadr's allies may retreat from their alliance with him, but they will not retreat to the point of allying themselves with his enemies. These will become increasingly fierce in their search of an opportunity to abort Sadr's dream of constituting the largest parliamentary bloc and therefore being entitled to forming a government.
The condition of the Sunni and Kurdish blocs will be that the Shia parties must resolve their differences, which is unlikely to happen. The two sides have parted ways and a middle-of-the-road path compromise is no longer possible.
The political delay will be prolonged and a new government will not be formed to succeed Mustafa Kadhimi's administration, which will remain in existence for a long time but will be deprived of powers..
It has become clear that the defeated parties are no longer satisfied with the developments unfolding around them. They have come to the conclusion that since their own defeat, their former allies no longer need them. They might as well conspire against them after realising how narrow their popular support base has become. That support base is now only composed of militia members who may lose their livelihoods if their parties' domination of the state and its wealth is over.
The logic here is that their electoral defeat epitomised a conspiracy aimed at weakening their ability to control relations between the so-called "Iraqi components" within the sectarian quota system. This is not acceptable, not only from Iran's perspective but also from that of those who run the corruption machine in the country, as overlapping interests have become the basis for managing the state's structure. It is not unlikely that the government, any government, will be incapable of real action if the followers of the parties controlling the sinews of the state refuse to obey its orders and work instead to sabotage its projects.
The defeated Shia parties continue to press for the election results to be annulled, even though the Federal Supreme Court has confirmed them. They had expected Sadr to give precedence to his sectarian affiliation and to prioritise that affiliation over any discord that the acceptance of the results might cause within the illusory "Shia house." The solution was to be the return to a consensus formula instead of the reality of election results. From that perspective, Shia politics would regain its cohesion in the face of "the others" who would eventually consider themselves to be mere appendices, likely to benefit from the consensus as long as they abide by whatever Shia decision is reached.
However, Sadr was obstinate. He began tempting "the others" with the weakness of Shia parties under the slogan of a national majority government. Parties were in shock when he proceeded to act on his idea, which in reality was nothing but an attempt to consolidate the dominance of the Sadrist Movement over the political scene, with Sunni-Kurdish allies backing him.
Therefore, it was necessary for the parties to disrupt the political project, which, if it succeeded, could lead to a new political system. It is true that Sadr-instituted regime will also be sectarian, but this time it will exclude Iran's most subservient allies. This means building a new state that will not be based on the ready-made US-Iranian deals.
The parties have preferred to start with the weak links before they launched their attack on Sadr. Weakening him politically before exhausting him militarily. They may not need an armed confrontation if his Sunni and Kurdish supporters desert him.
Other players will have to avoid stepping into the forbidden zone.
Will Sadr be able to continue trying to lure potential allies in light of the fear that is gripping them?
As it grapples with that question, Iraq will live in a different sort of hell.
Written ByFarouk Yousef
The Iranian Horn pays the Antichrist a visit
Quds Force commander visits Iraq as pro-Iran parties risk being sidelined | | AW
BAGHDAD –
Esmail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), arrived Sunday in Najaf, 180 kilometres to the south of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Qaani held a series of meetings with different Iraqi political forces to converge views on the next cabinet lineup.
"These meetings aim to unify the Shia house after the recent row between the Coordination Framework and the Sadrist movement," the source said.
Qaani is also expected to meet the leader of the Sadrist movement, powerful populist Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, according to the same source.
Iraq might for the first time in years get a government that excludes Iran-backed parties if Sadr, who dominated the recent election, keeps his word, say Iraqi politicians, government officials and independent analysts.
However, they add that moves by Sadr to sideline rivals long backed by Tehran risks the ire of their heavily-armed militias which make up some of the most powerful and most anti-American military forces in Iraq.
The surest sign of Sadr's new parliamentary power and his willingness to ignore groups loyal to Iran came on January 9 when his Sadrist Movement, together with a Sunni parliament alliance and Western-leaning Kurds, re-elected with a solid majority, a parliamentary speaker opposed by the Iran-aligned camp.
Parliament must in the coming weeks choose the country's president, who will call on the largest parliamentary alliance to form a government, a process that will be dominated by the Sadrist Movement with whomever it chooses to work.
"We are on track to form a national majority government," Sadr said in a statement earlier last week, using a term that officials say is a euphemism for a government made up of Sadrists, Sunnis and Kurds but no Iran-backed parties.
Sadr's MPs, buoyed by their easy victory in parliament last week, echoed their leader's confidence.
Iraqi politicians and analysts say the rise of Sadr and political decline of the Iranian camp, long hostile to the United States, suits Washington and its allies in the region, despite Sadr's unpredictability.
But excluding the Iran camp from the government risks a violent backlash. There have been in recent days attacks on political parties allied with Sadr causing two injuries and material damage to building in Baghdad. They have also challenged the election of the parliament speaker in the Federal Supreme Court.
Qaani's series of meetings with Iraqi political forces come within this context and as Iran struggles to maintain its political influence, experts say.
According to Iranian media, Qaani visited the grave of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a commander in the pro-Iranian Popular Mobilisation Forces, as well as other graves in the city of Najaf. The Quds Force commander also paid a visit to the Mausoleum of Imam Ali.
Muhandis was killed in 2020 in the US drone strike which targeted then IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. The Qaani's visit comes after a string of rocket and drone attacks targeting US advisers in Iraq and Syria in early January. At least some of the attacks were blamed on pro-Iran militias.
The Antichrist's Muqtada al-Sadr's Next Step In Iraq
Muqtada al-Sadr's Next Step In Iraq
In a dramatic parliamentary session on January 9, the new Iraqi parliament reelectedMohamed al-Halbousi for a second term as speaker. While the vote further widened intra-Shia divisions, it also revealed Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's ability to change political dynamics across Iraq. The Sadrist Movement, the Sunni Taqadum and al-Azim alliance, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and other smaller factions attended the session and voted for Halbousi and his two deputies.
According to the Iraqi constitution, the parliament has thirty days from the first session to elect the country's new president, who will then ask the largest bloc in parliament to form a government. To date, there is no agreement between Iraq's main political powers. The post-2003 system in Iraq is centered on an informal power-sharing arrangement among Shia Arabs, Sunni Arabs, and Kurds. Under this informal system, the prime minister's post is reserved for a Shia, the position of speaker is reserved for a Sunni, and the president is required to be a Kurd.
Halbousi's election can be seen as a victory for Sadr's bloc over the Coordination Framework, a bloc that is largely aligned with Iran. Today, the political representation of the Iraqi Shia community is clearly divided into two main blocs. The first is the Sadrist Movement, which is led by the cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, one of Iraq's most visible post-2003 political leaders. The other Shia bloc is the Coordination Framework, a loose coalition of mainly Shia parties that includes two former prime ministers and other influential Shia political figures.
The Sadrists claimed nearly 40 percent of the seats won by Shia in the October 2021 election. Due to the complex nature of its coalition, it is still unclear how many seats the Coordination Framework will command. Nevertheless, it appears that they will control at least seventy seats.
As the largest single party in parliament, the Sadrists voted for the reelection of Halbousi, while the Coordination Framework boycotted the vote. A similar division occurred among the Kurds. The KDP, led by Masoud Barzani, attended the vote, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) joined the Coordination Framework in boycotting the vote.
Sadr described the vote as an important step toward forming a national majority government. Since the October 2021 election, the Sadrists have considered either trying to form a national majority government in coalition with non-Shia parties or settling for the role of Iraq's political opposition. The Coordination Framework has only proposed one option: forming a consensus government. For Sadr, forming a majority government would mean reaching out to the major winners within the Sunni and Kurdish communities while excluding other political forces across the spectrum. A majority government can certainly be a responsible and effective government with clear tasks, expectations, and responsibilities. However, this idea is rejected by the Coordination Framework and every major party besides Sadr's.
Sadr is serious about forming a majority government, which would challenge the post-2003 status quo in Iraq. At the same time, he knows that he has no guaranteed support from the other parties. While the Sunnis and the KDP joined Sadr in the vote for speaker, electing a president and prime minister is much more complex. Any Sadrist national majority government will depend on the support of the KDP and the new alliance between Taqaddum and al-Azim, the major political winners among Iraq's Kurds and Sunnis. With the seats of another Kurdish party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Sadr could also lead a new government. On the other hand, Sadr could form a national majority government by dividing the Coordination Framework and gaining the support of Shia alliances such as the National Power of the State Coalition and the Fatah Alliance.
Sadr will face three key challenges in any attempt to form an alliance with the Kurds and Sunnis. First, though an understanding between Sadr, Barzani, and Halbousi existed prior to the election, the KDP and the Sunni parties have so far rejected the idea of forming an alliance with just one Shia bloc. In addition, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the Coordination Framework's leader, has tried to create new alliances in an attempt to increase the Framework's seats. This has created a balance of seats between the two Sunni blocs, making it difficult for Halbousi to claim sole leadership or representation of Iraq's Sunnis. Finally, if Sadr does manage to obtain the support of the KDP and Halbousi, the Sadrists—the Shia component of the coalition—will not constitute a majority, making it the first government not dominated by Shia since 2003. This may make it a struggle for the coalition to win the support of the Shia community.
These challenges make it more likely that Sadr will try to reach out to Shia powers within the Coordination Framework to form a Sadr-led consensus government. The Sadrists may also consider settling as the opposition. The latter option may hold some appeal for Sadr, who has always presented himself as a renegadewho holds the government in Baghdad to account. Sadr's supporters, who do not question his choices, may see Sadr as a true leader who sacrificed political power for the sake of the nation. This would not be the first time that Sadr threatened to leave a government and join the opposition. What is different today is that the Sadrists hold over seventy seats and could gain the support of smaller factions in order to create a sizable opposition bloc. If Sadr decides to take this path, he will create the most significant opposition force in the post-2003 Iraqi political system.
However, there are significant barriers that likely outweigh the perceived benefits of forming an opposition coalition. If Sadr does form an opposition coalition, it will only be because he has been prevented from forming a majority government. Considering the personal rivalry between Maliki and Sadr, this outcome will have broader implications for Sadr's image and credibility.
Losing out on the ability to make appointments for the thousands of senior and special posts in the Iraqi government may also make Sadr hesitate to form an opposition coalition. Controlling these appointments allows politicians to direct national policy and advance their own political, ethnosectarian, and economic interests. Being in the opposition would prevent Sadr from taking advantage of this opportunity.
While Sadr enjoys a disciplined base and can afford to change his positions without losing support, he knows that his victory was largely due to the Sadrists' skillful handling of new electoral laws. While they gained nineteen seats in the recent election, their share of the popular vote decreased significantly. For many political activists within the Sadrist Movement, especially those who worked hard during the election campaign, being in the opposition would prevent them from reaping the rewards that they believe Sadr owes them.
Lastly, if Sadr is not included in the next government, the Coordination Framework and the militias aligned with it will dominate Iraq. This would allow the militias to continue operating outside of Iraq's security forces without facing pressure from the government. The crackdown on illegally owned weapons that Sadr campaigned on would not be implemented, and Sadr would disappoint the international supporters who saw in him a means to reduce the influence of pro-Iranian armed groups.
With all this in mind, it is likely that a partial consensus government will be formed. There is nothing new about a consensus government. However, what is new is that it may be a consensus government that advances the political, ideological, and international priorities of Muqtada al-Sadr.
Kamaran Palani is an Associate Fellow at Al Sharq Strategic Research, a Research Fellow at the Middle East Research Institute, and Lecturer in International Relations at Salahaddin-University-Erbil. His research interests include Iraqi politics, regional Kurdish politics, de facto statehood in the international system, internal displacement and prevention of violent extremism in Iraq.
Will the Antichrist sideline Iran? Daniel
Will Iraq's Sadr sideline Iran-backed factions from government?
The powerful populist cleric's push to exclude Iran-backed factions from the government risks the ire of their heavily armed militia.
On track to form a national majority government
Shiite groups have held sway since Saddam was toppled
BAGHDAD – Iraq might for the first time in years get a government that excludes Iran-backed parties if a powerful populist cleric who dominated a recent election keeps his word, Iraqi politicians, government officials and independent analysts say.
But moves by the Shiite Muslim cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, to sideline rivals long backed by Tehran risks the ire of their heavily armed militia that make up some of the most powerful and most anti-American military forces in Iraq, they say.
The surest sign of Sadr's new parliamentary power and his willingness to ignore groups loyal to Iran came on Sunday when his Sadrist Movement, together with a Sunni parliament alliance and Western-leaning Kurds, re-elected a parliamentary speaker opposed by the Iran-aligned camp with a solid majority.
Parliament must in the coming weeks choose the country's president, who will call on the largest parliamentary alliance to form a government, a process that will be dominated by the Sadrist Movement whoever it chooses to work with.
"We are on track to form a national majority government," Sadr said in a statement this week, using a term that officials say is a euphemism for a government made up of Sadrists, Sunnis and Kurds but no Iran-backed parties.
Sadr's politicians, buoyed by their easy victory in parliament last week, echoed their leader's confidence.
The Iran camp "should face reality: election losers can't make the government," said Riyadh al-Masoudi, a senior member of the Sadrist Movement.
"We have a real majority, a strong front that includes us, the Sunnis, most of the Kurds and many independents and can form a government very soon."
But excluding the Iran camp from government risks a violent backlash.
"If the Sadrists get their national majority government … those who oppose them will view this as splitting the Shiites and threatening their power," Ahmed Younis, an Iraqi political and legal analyst, said.
"They will do all they can to avoid losing that grip."
Shiite groups have dominated Iraqi politics since the US-led overthrow of Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. They span an array of parties, most with armed wings, but fall broadly now into two camps: those that are pro-Iran and those that oppose Tehran's influence in Iraq.
The Shiite elite have shared control over many ministries, with Iran-aligned groups holding the upper hand until the recent rise of Sadr, the biggest winner in the Oct. 10 election which dealt a crushing blow to the Iran camp https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iraq-counts-votes-after-lowest-ever-election-turnout-2021-10-11.
For the first time post-Saddam, the Iran-aligned groups could see themselves in opposition in parliament.
'Scary moment'
Events since the election have showed how dangerous the sharpening divide between Sadr and his Iran-backed opponents has become.
In November, protests opposing the election result by supporters of those parties turned violent and an armed drone attack blamed on Iran-linked factions struck a residence of outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, widely viewed as a close Sadr ally https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-seeks-cool-tensions-iraq-2021-12-22.
On Friday an explosion hit the Baghdad party headquarters of newly re-elected parliament speaker Mohammed Halbousi.
It was not immediately clear if this was linked to Halbousi's election by parliament on Sunday or who was responsible. There was no claim of responsibility. One Iran-aligned group issued a warning this week after the parliament's decision that Iraq could see a spiral of violence.
An Iraqi government official, who declined to be named, said he expected those in the Iran camp to use the threat of violence to get a place in government, but not to escalate into a full-scale conflict with Sadr.
Other observers, however, say Sadr's insistence on sidelining Iran-aligned parties and militias could be a dangerous gamble.
"The question is, does he (Sadr) realise how potentially destabilising this is and is he ready for the violent push back?" said Professor Toby Dodge of the London School of Economics.
"The (Iran-backed) militias are increasingly overtly threatening violence, and Sadr is saying they cannot do this. It's a scary moment."
Halbousi's election was viewed as an easy victory for the Sadrists. But the stakes will be higher in selecting a president and a prime minister.
Politicians on both sides of the Shiite divide show little sign they might soften their positions.
"The Sadrists … marginalizing parts of the Shiite political class could lead to boycotts of the government, protests in the street and armed violence," said Ibrahim Mohammed, a senior member of the Iran-aligned Fatah political alliance.
A second Sadrist politician, who declined to be named on orders from his party, said: "We're powerful, we have a strong leader and millions of followers who are ready to take to the streets and sacrifice themselves."
Hashed intimidation attempt suspected in Baghdad blasts targeting offices of Antichrist allies
Hashed intimidation attempt suspected in Baghdad blasts targeting offices of Sadr allies
Only two injuries and some material damage were reported after blasts hit the Baghdad headquarters of parties allied to the Sadrist Movement, Friday and Thursday, in incidents where analysts saw clear warnings from pro-Iran Shia parties to rival Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr that he will not be able to form a government without their consent or rule at their expense.
An explosion from a hand grenade hit the headquarters of Iraqi parliament speaker Mohammed Halbousi's Taqaddum party in Baghdad, early on Friday, wounding two guards, police sources said.
There was no claim of responsibility but a source in the Baghdad police told Anadolu Agency that "unidentified gunmen targeted the building of Taqaddom Coalition", headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi, in the Adhamiyah neighborhood, northern Baghdad.
Iraq's parliament, newly elected after an October 10 general election in which the powerful Shia populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was the biggest winner, voted to reinstate Halbousi for his second term as speaker on Sunday, against the wishes of the pro-Iran Framework Alliance parties.
Similar blasts targeted a building of Azm Alliance, headed by Sunni leader Khamis Khanjar, in Baghdad. Another explosion hit a buildng near the the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), another ally of the Sadrist Movement.
Besides the reported injuries, the targeted buildings sustained damages.
During the last elections, the Sadrist Movement won about a fifth of the seats, 73 out of the legislature's total 329, while the Fatah (Conquest) Alliance, the political arm of the pro-Iranian Hashed al-Shaabi, won only 17 seats, sharply down from the 48 seats the used to control in the outgoing assembly.
Taqaddom Coalition came second with 37 seats, while the Azm Alliance garnered 14 seats.
Iraqi affairs experts say the Alliance Framework parties are wary of Sadr forming a new government excluding the pro-Iran Shia forces and possibly attempting to fully integrate the Hashed Shaabi militias into the regular army or cut its funding.
Iraq's post-election period since the October 10 vote has been marred by high tensions, violence and allegations of vote fraud, as pro-Iran political parties refused to concede their loss in the ballot to the Sadrist Movement.
Iraq's top court, Thursday, provisionally suspended the newly-appointed speaker of parliament, while judges consider an appeal by two pro-Iranian party deputies claiming his re-election by other lawmakers was unconstitutional.
The move impacts the workings of parliament, as lawmakers cannot meet without the speaker.
One of the parliament's first tasks must be to elect the country's president, who will then name a prime minister tasked with forming a new government
Despite Halbousi's suspension, the clock has not stopped ticking on the 30-day deadline to elect a new president that began at the parliament's inaugural session, the court said.
In multi-confessional and multi-ethnic Iraq, the formation of governments has involved complex negotiations ever since the 2003 US-led invasion toppled President Saddam Hussein.
Moqtadar al-Sadr, the head of the winning formation that bears his name, has vowed to form "a majority government" instead of the traditional consensus-based cabinet.
Parliament only met Sunday for the first time in three months since the polls, where the new members held a swearing-in ceremony and elected the speaker.
It opened to furious arguments between rival factions of Shia lawmakers as members of the pro-Iran Framework Alliance claimed to have enough seats to be the leading bloc in parliament. The Sadrists rejected their implausible claim.
Antichrist's Push to Sideline Iran-Backed Iraqi Factions Risks Clash
Sadr's Push to Sideline Iran-Backed Iraqi Factions Risks Clash
Friday, 14 January, 2022 – 11:15
Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr speaks after preliminary results of Iraq's parliamentary election were announced in Najaf, Iraq October 11, 2021. (Reuters)Asharq Al-Awsat
Iraq might for the first time in years get a government that excludes Iran-backed parties if Shiite populist cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, who dominated a recent election keeps his word, Iraqi politicians, government officials and independent analysts say according to Reuters.
But moves by Sadr to sideline rivals long backed by Tehran risks the ire of their heavily armed militias that make up some of the most powerful and most anti-American military forces in Iraq, they say.
The surest sign of Sadr's new parliamentary power and his willingness to ignore groups loyal to Iran came on Sunday when his Sadrist Movement, together with a Sunni parliament alliance and Kurds, reelected a parliamentary speaker opposed by the Iran-aligned camp with a solid majority.
Shiite groups have dominated Iraqi politics since the US-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. They span an array of parties, most with armed wings, but fall broadly now into two camps: those that are pro-Iran and those that oppose Tehran's influence in Iraq.
The Shiite elite have shared control over many ministries, with Iran-aligned groups holding the upper hand until the recent rise of Sadr, the biggest winner in the Oct. 10 election which dealt a crushing blow to the Iran camp.
In November, protests opposing the election result by supporters of those parties turned violent and an armed drone attack blamed on Iran-linked factions struck a residence of outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, widely viewed as a close Sadr ally.
On Friday an explosion hit the Baghdad party headquarters of newly re-elected parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi.
"The question is, does he (Sadr) realize how potentially destabilizing this is and is he ready for the violent push back?" said Professor Toby Dodge of the London School of Economics.
Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood Seek to Shake Stability Outside the Temple Walls: Revelation 11
Hamas leaders were permitted to attend the August 2021 funeral of Ibrahim Ghosheh in Jordan. They hijacked the funeral for a Hamas rally. (Palinfo)
Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood Seek to Shake Stability on Both Sides of the Jordan River
Pinhas Inbari January 13, 2022Filed under: Hamas, Jordan
Hamas' attempts, led by Saleh Arouri, to infiltrate the West Bank, worry not only Israel but Ramallah and Jordan as well. Hamas' efforts are currently the common denominator for the cooperation required of Israel and Jordan. Israeli and Palestinian Authority forces are already operating in the Jenin region of the West Bank.
This is an opportunity to examine what is happening in Jordan. Developments there should be troubling King Abdullah II. Although Jordan is currently calm domestically, and there are no violent events like in Jenin, the Jordanian parliament is giving the king stress. According to comments from journalists close to the palace, the king views the Muslim Brotherhood (Hamas' umbrella organization) as the source of the unrest.
In mid-December, the Jordanian parliament challenged the government's far-reaching water and electricity agreements with Israel.2 Then, on December 28, 2021, a brawl took place while the lawmakers discussed changing the fundamental laws to ensure gender equality. When it deliberated whether to attach the Arabic feminine form of the word "Jordanian [Jordanienne (sic)]" alongside the masculine form of "Jordanian," an uproar erupted that included swearing and an exchange of blows.3
Eventually, a compromise was reached, under which the Arabic feminine form of the word "Jordanienne" entered the fundamental laws.
The parliament passed amendments that enabled the king to appoint top public security and judicial officials, along with the grand mufti and royal advisers. An amendment was also approved to establish a National Security Council controlled by the king, which would handle all issues related to defense and security. But it came at a price. In an unprecedented move, the parliament removed the king as the head of the parliamentary security committee.4
Jordanian journalists close to the royal palace accused the Muslim Brotherhood of planning the provocations in parliament.5
The veteran leader of the Muslim Brotherhood branch in Jordan, Laith Shubeilat, did not hesitate to accuse the Brotherhood's new generation of having ties to foreign entities – namely Iran. Shubeilat is no lapdog for the Hashemite regime; he had a strained relationship with King Hussein and was arrested several times. In a recording released on January 3, 2022, Shubeilat was heard attacking the Brotherhood leadership's corruption: "You preserved the organization, and you did not preserve the religion."
Jordanian publicist Ahmed Salama reported that when King Abdullah allowed Khalid Mishaal and Ismail Haniyeh to attend the funeral of a senior member of the Brotherhood, Ibrahim Ghosheh, in August 2021, they used this humane gesture to persuade mourners to recognize the two Hamas figures as leaders of Jordan's own Islamic faction. "The funeral turned into a pledge of allegiance to Hamas and its leaders," Salama wrote. Moreover, their incitement "was an embarrassment to the government's alliance with the Ramallah authority." The goal of the Brotherhood, according to Salama, is to fragment Jordan as they have divided the Palestinians. Its logic is clear: just as they opened the door to Iran in Gaza, they want to divide Jordan to allow Iran's infiltration as well.6
Arouri's attempts to infiltrate the West Bank are understood in Jordan as part of an Iranian mission also to infiltrate the "East Bank." Faced with this Hamas strategy, Jordan must coordinate with Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli Navy Attacks A Fishing Boat Outside the Temple Walls: Revelation 11
Israeli Navy Attacks A Fishing Boat Near Gaza
Israeli navy ships attacked, on Wednesday evening, a Palestinian fishing boat offshore the city of Gaza, in the besieged coastal region.
Media sources said the boat was within Palestinian water, less than six nautical miles from the shore, when a navy ship started firing live rounds at it, in addition to using water cannons.
The attack caused damage, but did not lead to casualties or abductions, and forced the fishermen back to the shore to avoid further escalation.
On Tuesday, similar Israeli attacks targeted fishermen off the coast of Gaza city, and farmers on their lands in the central Gaza Strip.
In March of last year, the Palestinian Interior Ministry in Gaza said Israeli mines were responsible for an explosion that led to the death of three fishermen.
The Antichrist expected to nominate Kadhimi for Iraq' premiership
Sadrist Movement expected to nominate Kadhimi for Iraq' premiership
The prime minister is fully engaged in a campaign to fight corruption, which is at the core of the Sadrists' reform agenda.Thursday 13/01/2022
Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr welcomes Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Najaf, Iraq, January 6, 2022. (REUTERS)
BAGHDAD-
Iraqi political sources say that Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi is smoothly gliding towards a new term in office, given the support he enjoys from the Sadrist Movement.
The sources point out that Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr sees Kadhimi as the most capable figure who could lead a "national majority" government to be formed by the Sadrists with the backing of Sunni and Kurdish blocs.
The sources note that the objections of the pro-Iranian Coordination Framework Shia parties to Kadhimi are not of much concern to the Sadrists.
Iraq watchers point out that Kadhimi, despite the modest results achieved during his current term in office, has shown himself to be able to deal effectively with Iraq's quandaries and has demonstrated a great measure of pragmatism in handling foreign interference in Iraqi affairs.
Analysts say there is no external veto on Kadhimi. Even Tehran does not object to his nomination as it does not consider the premier, in the final analysis, to be a threat to its interests.
They believe that the only obstacle to Kadhimi's accession to the premiership is the opposition of the pro-Iranian militias. But these forces will ultimately have no choice in the matter if Muqatada Al-Sadr insists on nominating Kadhimi and if the latter wins the support of the Sunni and Kurdish blocs.
The prime minister had met, on Monday, the leader of the Al-Fatah (Conquest) Alliance, Al-Hadi Al-Amiri, in Baghdad. The purpose of the visit, according to sources, was to de-escalate tensions with the alliance, considered a political offshoot of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF).
Kadhimi also visited Najaf, Wednesday. Sources close to the prime minister said the visit was a follow-up to a previous visit, less than a week ago, during which the prime minister examined the state of services in the governorate, the stronghold of the Sadrist Movement.
During his earlier visit to Najaf, where he was warmly welcomed by Sadr, Kadhimi announced a set of measures regarding local affairs of the west-central province.
Analysts say Kadhimi has recently been leading an active campaign to burnish his own image, by announcing a number of development projects and reshuffling governors and senior officials so as to remove from office those suspected of corruption or the repression of protests, as was the case with the governor of Dhi Qar.
Iraqi affairs experts believe that the recent anti-graft measures taken by Kadhimi are consistent with the positions advocated by the Sadrist Movement and its leader, putting corruption at the forefront of the reform project they want to be implemented after the formation of a national majority government.
Iraq's Integrity Commission announced on Wednesday the issuance of arrest warrants and summons for 85 high-ranking officials, on corruption-related charges, during the month of December.
A statement by the official commission, tasked with investigating corruption cases in Iraq, said that judicial authorities issued the warrants after the investigation by the Integrity Commission of cases in Baghdad and other provinces. It indicated that 21 arrest warrants and 77 summonses were issued, including one involving a current government minister, as well as a number of former ministers, in addition to former parliamentarians, governors and other senior officials. No names were however revealed.
Iraq is considered to be among the most corrupt countries in the world, according to the Transparency International index over the past years.
Last October, the country held early legislative elections in the wake of large protests against corruption since 2019.
The leader of the Sadrist Movement has focused during the election campaign on the need to prioritise the fight against corruption.
Observers believe that Kadhimi's anti-corruption moves, at this particular time, are a prelude to his assumption of the premiership in the government, which the Sadrist movement is to form, despite the misgivings of the Shia forces loyal to Iran.
Biden has taken its eyes off the ball on Iran January 20, 2022