Iraqi Troops And Tanks Surge Into Baghdad Amid Political Turmoil -- CNN
(CNN) -- Iraqi troops, security forces and tanks surged into Baghdad on Sunday as political turmoil deepened over who should lead the country.
Military tanks were deployed to several neighborhoods in central Baghdad, two Iraqi police officials told CNN. The officials said there are also significantly more troops in Baghdad's Green Zone, the secure area where many government buildings, the military headquarters and the U.S. Embassy are located.
The stepped-up troop presence comes as Iraqi forces battle Islamist militants in northern Iraq, and just after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki accused Fuad Masum, Iraq's newly elected President, of violating the country's constitution by extending the deadline for Iraq's biggest political coalitions to nominate a candidate for prime minister.
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More News On Reports That Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki is Staging A 'Coup' In Iraq Right Now
Iraq crisis: Embattled PM Nouri Maliki in show of force -- BBC
Maliki defiant as his special forces deploy in Baghdad -- Reuters
Forces loyal to Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki deploy in Baghdad streets, sparking coup fears -- Sydney Morning Herald
Coup in Baghdad Reported -- Epoch Times
Baghdad's green zone cordoned by security forces loyal to Iraq's present Prime Minister -- ITAR-TASS
Security forces deployed in Baghdad -- SKY News
Maliki Deploys Tanks in Baghdad as U.S. Backs President -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Iraq’s Prime Minister Maliki In Show Of Force -- Radio Free Europe
Nouri Maliki: Iraqi president 'breached constitution' -- BBC
US slaps down Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki after he accuses president -- The Guardian
State Dept.: US 'fully supports' Iraq president -- AP
U.S. official says backs Iraq president after Maliki vows to stay on -- Reuters
My Comment: Iraqi PM Maliki has no support .... even among Shiites ... so this is probably his last ploy to stay in power .... and it looks like he is prepared to use deadly force to stay in power. Iraq is now on the verge of completely disintegrating.
Update: The Iraqi President's residence is now surrounded by forces loyal to Iraqi PM Maliki. Yup .... this is the start of a coup.
Comment #2: ISIS is preparing to storm Baghdad .... this chaos will only help in their plans to conquer Baghdad.
Comment #3: President Obama just started his vacation .... let's see if he is going to rush back to the White House in view of this deteriorating situation or will he use the line that he is still getting is national security briefing at his vacation home and he will be making an announcement soon.
Update #2: The Green Zone has now been closed by Iraqi security forces.
4 comments:
It's hard for me to believe that Maliki would try this without outside support. If not directly involved in this, then Iran is probably watching with intense interest. They know that a showdown with ISIS in the near future is a certainty, therefore watch for the following:
1) Iranian efforts to get the bomb redoubled.
2)Attempts to reestablish land contact with Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon. If successful, then reinforcement and realignment towards ISIS.
3) Securing political control in Shia areas of Iraq.
4) Iranian pressure on Qatar (covert and overt) to scale sown it's support of ISIS.
5)Possible temporary rapprochement Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
6) Securing Russia's non support of ISIS.
The only person who really knew how to handle Maliki was George Bush .... and I think it was more because Maliki was afraid of Bush. After all .... it was Bush who got rid of Saddam Hussein, someone that no Iraqi for decades ever believed was possible.
As to what is happening today .... this is Maliki being Maliki, and he is now using the military under his authority to secure his political position. This move will now probably end him politically .... both internationally and domestically.
Aizino,
6) What they'll do is make sure Russia doesn't even entertain supporting ISIS. If you think about it, Iran owes Russia a lot of money and they could cause Russia a lot of problems in Central Asia fomenting unrest with the Muslins there.
For Putin, just the threat of support to ISIS is a good stick to keep the Iranians in line.
4) I don't know about their survival, but if you look at the map they are in the ideal place for Iran to pressure and introduce surreptitious people, arms, and ideology on to the Saudi peninsula.
I don't know about their survival either.
They are a small country that is not very defensible.
They have a small population relatively speaking and the masses are foreigners or Shia, who don't like the royal family's Sunni faction.
The Royal family is Sunni supporting Sunni jihadis which Iran does not like.
The Royal family is pissing of Saudi Arabia.
If there is a general war either Saudi Arabia has a reason to knock them off.
If Iran invades for some reason and Saudi Arabia can push them out, the Saudi will not reinstall the Qatari royal family.
The Qatari Royal family is playing a dangerous game and they had better hope the world or region does not go to shat.
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