Musings On Iraq: More Info On Iraq's New National Council .

More Info On Iraq`s New National Council for Strategic Policies

As division of the power sharing agreement worked out between Iraq`s major lists, Iyad Allawi of the Iraqi National Effort is to pass a new body, the National Council for Strategic Policies. The particular powers and process of the Council are unknown as it has not yet been discussed in parliament, let alone created, but politicians have set out the broad make-up of the group.

The National Council will exchange the existing National Security Council. The Coalition Provisional Authority created that latter body in April 2004. It was originally called the Ministerial Committee for Internal Security. It included the Defense, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Justice, and Finance ministers, the senior military advisers, the question of the National Intelligence service, and the internal security adviser. When Maliki became prime minister in 2006 he eventually asserted his ascendency over the Council. In April 2009 the cabinet endorsed a draft law to get rid of the Council and exchange it with a new national security committee, but parliament never passed the bill. That finally appears to be happening when the National Council is created. The Council for Strategic Policies is allegedly going to address all of the major issues in the country. Those include local and foreign policies, economic and monetary affairs, the military, natural resources, power, food, and the environment. The Council will receive 20-members, including the leadership of the top four lists, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki`s State of Law, Iyad Allawi`s Iraqi National Movement, the Sadrist led Iraqi National Alliance, and the Kurdish Coalition, the premier Maliki, President Jalal Talabani, Speaker of Parliament Osama Nujafi, the head of the Supreme Court, and early political leaders. Even though it`s not mentioned, top ministers like Defense, Interior, Oil and Alien Affairs are probably to be included as well. The Council is alleged to make the agency to both make policy, and reverse decisions. Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani told the fight that any unanimous decision by the Council will automatically be carried out. Any conclusion with an 80% vote will be sent to the ministries, cabinet, or parliament for a last decision. The demand for a solid vote seems to undermine the Council`s ability to be truly effective. It would appear almost impossible to get all the members to check on any major issue given the irritable nature of Iraqi politics. That would also mean that the Council`s alleged veto power that Allawi has talked about would largely exist on paper only, rather than in practice. Others have argued that the organization would take to be changed if the Council were to actually make the ability to veto decisions. Maliki has also pictured the trunk as one that will counsel him, not take decisions. Whether these early details will actually be put into space is not known yet. Parliament has gone on a ruin for a spiritual holiday until November 21, and wont get up the thing until afterward. On the plus side, the Sadrists have said that they bear the thought of the Council. That would allow a mighty ally to Allawi to have this new entity a reality. On the other hand, if the Council needs all the members to check to have a binding decision and will take a constitutional amendment to have veto authority, it will quickly degenerate into a debating club rather than a real executive body. That would upset Allawi who wants real power sharing, and could leave him to throw out of the government. That could go up his list, as a great amount of lawmakers want to enter in the new ruling coalition, and leave Allawi out in the cold. SOURCES Alsumaria, "Allawi does not require new regime to last," 11/17/10 Faraj, Salam, "Iraqi MPs salvage power-sharing pact after walk-out," Agence France Presse, 11/13/10 Gwertzman, Bernard, "A Tenuous Deal in Iraq," Council on Foreign Relations, 11/18/10 International Crisis Group, "Loose Ends: Iraq`s Security Forces Between U.S. Drawdown And Withdrawal," 10/26/10 Al-Isaa, Fadi, "Council of Strategic Policies is a precaution against autocracy and exclusion says Sadrist MP," AK News, 11/17/10 Jaf, Wisam, "Strategic policies council inclusive, says lawmaker," AK News, 11/17/10 Nahrain, Al-Sharq al-Awsat, Al-Sabah, Nakhelnews, Al-Zaman, "The Brokered Agreement To Reveal The Deadlock In Iraq," MEMRI Blog, 11/15/10 Ottaway, Marina and Kaysi, Danial Anas, "Iraq: Can flawed political agreement be implemented?" Babylon & Beyond, Los Angeles Times, 11/19/10 Al-Rafidyan, "Iraq Leaders Reach Deal On Forming A New Government," MEMRI Blog, 11/11/10 Al-Shemmari, Yazn, "Iraqiya announces its involvement in parliament," AK News, 11/12/10