Developments in Iraq
- Iraq’s political crisis continues to come to a head, as many see Prime Minister Nouri Maliki as increasingly dictatorial in his usage of power. There is currently talk about introducing a vote of no confidence against the PM, but, as Iraq’s political deck shuffles almost daily, (two current examples being the Sadrists fall out with Maliki’s National Alliance, and Maliki’s current efforts to curry favor with Sunni tribal leaders) it may be difficult for Maliki’s critics to gather enough support to even bring the resolution to a vote. Look here and here for some interesting analysis on the current situation by Reidar Visser of Iraq and Gulf Analysis.
List Project Updates
- Rumors are high that many resettlement organizations are gearing up for more arrivals of Iraqis for the upcoming summer months. Throughout the first half of the year, a great many more visas were awarded than at the same time last year, which points to a streamlining of security measures that were enacted over a year ago and which significantly reduced the number of Iraqis that the United States received. There is even talk that the long defunct visa program for Afghans that helped U.S. forces may actually be moving along again.