Iraq Council Makes Day of Saddam's Fall a Holiday

[Nottingham]

Iraq Council Makes Day of Saddam's Fall a Holiday
Sun July 13, 2003 07:57 AM ET
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's new Governing Council said Sunday its first decisions were to cancel all holidays related to Saddam Hussein and his outlawed Baath Party and to declare April 9, the day of his downfall, a national holiday.
In a statement read out by one of its members, the council also said establishing security, reviving the economy, drawing up a constitution and preparing for a general election would be among its priorities.

Filling a power vacuum after the fall of Saddam, the council roughly reflects Iraq's religious and ethnic make-up, with 13 Shi'ite Muslims, five Sunni Muslims, five Kurds, one Christian and one Turkmen. The 25 council members opened the inaugural session in the former Military Industrialization Commission building in central Baghdad shortly before midday.

Coinciding with the move to outlaw public holidays with links to Saddam, U.S. forces have launched Operation Ivy Serpent against militants suspected of planning attacks on upcoming anniversaries related to him, the U.S. military said Sunday.


http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/redir.php?jid=192b9eae7afcb134

Ok we have the Holdays down. Now what about Water and Electricity

:bounce:

[karlschneider]

1. I wonder...do these 25 guys actually represent anybody in Iraq

:eyes:

[KellyW]

5. The Quisling Council

;)

[Robb]

2. Keep your eyes open

Other holidays sure to appear:

My Electricity Is Still Off Day

National Cluster Bomb Pickup Day

Why Is My Fucking Tap Water Black Day

Just a celebratory kind of people. So much to be thankful for, they'll probably just call this new one Thankstaking!

:eyes: :grr:

[Nottingham]

3. Baaawaaahaaa Rob! that was Great! Suggestion List

Rob Museum day!

Get In long line for your Gas Holiday


:bounce:

[wellst0nev0ter]

4. Who Will Bet That This Holiday Would Be As Irrelevant

As Afghanistan Day?

[IndianaGreen]

6. The whole idea behind this council is privatize Iraqi OIL

According to this excellent article that yours truly posted in Editorials yesterday, it describes the council to a Tee:

US convenes Iraqi council with aim of grabbing oil
By Bill Vann
12 July 2003

Among the principal concerns of US officials has been to parcel out the seats on the council to members of different ethnic groups and to include some relatively unknown women, apparently with the aim of lending the panel a superficial appearance of being representative. Excluded from the council, however, is anyone voicing opposition to the continued US occupation.

Given the recent deadly attacks by Iraqi resistance fighters on police recruits and others collaborating with the US occupation, however, it is doubtful that the council will have much contact with the Iraqi people. Instead, it will be on the receiving end of a series of US proposals worked out behind the scenes before the US invasion even began.

At a Tuesday press briefing in Baghdad, Bremer spelled out his determination to push through a wholesale privatization of Iraq’s oil industry and the rest of its large state-owned sector before Iraqis are given any opportunity to vote for a government or express their attitude toward such sweeping economic changes. He and other US officials have acknowledged that there is widespread popular sentiment against the denationalization of oil and its takeover by foreign-owned multinationals.

“Privatization is obviously something we have been giving a lot of thought to,” Bremer said. “When we sit down with the council ... it is going to be on the table.”

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/jul2003/iraq-j12.shtml

[indictrichardperle]

7. Bremer and Chalabi can declare all the holidays they want

Its not going to change a god damned thing.

Oh if they allow any free press, aka.....if the INC led oil give-away reaches a majority of the Iraqi people, it might pour more gasoline on the fire.