The New Head of Iraq

The following text was clipped form a Reuters Article, at the URL, http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5290398

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi "respects" the choice of Iyad Allawi, a Shi'ite Muslim, as Iraq's prime minister in the interim government that takes office on June 30, U.N. officials said on Friday. But the officials hinted that Allawi's selection by the Iraqi Governing Council had come as a surprise to Brahimi, although they said Allawi was "high on his list" of choices. They said Brahimi had been present at the meeting at which the decision was made.
"Mr. Brahimi respects the decision and is prepared to work with this person on the selection of the other posts in this interim government," U.N. chief spokesman Fred Eckhard said.
The word "respects" had been "a carefully chosen word," Eckhard said, declining to say whether Brahimi "endorsed" Allwai or had helped choose him.
"The Iraqis named this person today, and Mr. Brahimi respects that decision and will work with that person to now name the other members of an Iraqi government," Eckhard told reporters, adding that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan also respected the choice of Allawi.

And from the New York Times at, http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/28/international/middleeast/28CND-PREM.html?hp

BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 28 — Dr. Iyad Allawi, a secular Shiite member of the American-appointed Iraqi Governing Council with close ties to the C.I.A., has been chosen to be prime minister of Iraq's interim government, Iraqi and American officials said today.
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The decision to name Dr. Allawi was made by Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations envoy, and the governing council was then summoned to be informed of the choice. The council more or less showed its approval, some officials said, with one member saying the decision was unanimous. But other people said a vote did not really take place, because the decision had already been made.
L. Paul Bremer III, the occupation's senior official in Iraq, came in later and gave the council his congratulations,
Question: Who appointed Dr. Allawi?
Two reputable publications, viz. the New York Times and Reuters, are making differing statements.
Was Dr. Allawi chosen by “the Iraqi Governing Council” (Reuters) or was the decision made by Lakhdar Brahimi?

The Unjust Oslo Accord

The following article appeared in the "27 May 04" issue of New Scientist.

"Under an agreement signed a decade ago as part of the Oslo accord, four-fifths of the West Bank's water is allocated to Israel, though the aquifers that supply it are largely replenished by water falling onto Palestinian territory."

The whole article is at:

http://www.rense.com/general53/palwater.htm

This injustice is most glaring. Could it get any worse. It could, as long as there is one more drop of water we can make UNavailable to The Palestinians.

Injustice

It must be a sad world where a nation, feigning a threat from another nation would simply attack that nation and create destruction and mayhem, completely disregarding world opinion.
It should be noted that the attacking nations are not "The International Community", but rather, two old colonials who are at the old game of resource theft.
The world has changed from the days of the early 1920's or earlier. There are now more greedy colonials but there are also more of those who will resist. Then, the powerful will threaten the less powerful with death, but that policy has been totally confounded by the advent of the suicide bomber. So we create hell for the bomber's family and their neighborhood.
We now destroy their house, degrade, debase, humiliate and "smoke 'em out" their families. We are civilized. "They hate our freedom."