Iraqi People Need To Take Initiative, Says Kurd Official

By Rob Sanna-Talk Radio News Service

The Chief of Staff for the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, located predominantly in northern Iraq, called upon the U.S. to take a less dominant role as the Iraqi government forms.

“The United States must not take the initiative in forming the Iraqi government, that’s not good for the United States, and its not good for Iraq,” said Fuad Hussein during a discussion with the Atlantic Council in D.C. Friday.

“But if we take the initiative… It is important to have the UN there and also the United States…the ground must be well prepared for negotiations,” Hussein added.

It is his belief that the U.S. should act more as an arbitrator to help bring the political parties of Iraq together, and have a very limited role in determining policy. He did concede, however, that the U.S. is needed to provide security from terrorism, influence from neighboring countries like Iran and the division among Iraqi people.

“We can not secure [Iraq], the threat of terrorism is still there, intervention from various countries is still there, influence of various neighboring countries is still there, we are still divided until 2011… Security wise we need to have good relationships and agreements with the outside world,” said Hussein.

Medicare Turns 45

Although 20 years short of qualifying for its own benefits, Medicare nevertheless reached an important milestone Friday.

45 years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare, the social insurance safety-net, into law.

President Barack Obama marked the anniversary by issuing a proclamation lauding the program and pledging its continued support under his administration.

“As President, I will protect the promise of Medicare and Medicaid, and make sure they continue to be strong and solvent for our children and grandchildren,” Obama wrote.

The President also took the anniversary as an opportunity to tout the health care reform legislation he signed into law this March.

“The health care reforms in the landmark Affordable Care Act (ACA) renew and strengthen our pledge to America’s seniors and families, ensuring Medicare and Medicaid will be there when they need it,” the proclamation states.

Also acknowledging the milestone, the Republican National Committee issued their own statement charging that Medicare will be slashed under the new health care law and accusing Obama of backtracking on his pledge to seniors to protect the program.

“Happy 45h Birthday, Medicare!” the statement reads. “President Obama gave plenty of “gifts” to seniors on Medicare this year.”

SEC Charges Billionaire Brothers With Fraud

The Securities Exchange Commission is charging Texas billionaires Sam and Charles Wyly for allegedly participating in insider trading to the tune of $550 million.

The complaint filed Wednesday by the Commission states, “Sam Wyly and Charles Wyly engaged in a 13 year fraudulent scheme to hold and trade tens of millions of securities of public companies while they were members of the boards of directors.”

The Dallas-based Wylys founded the software company Sterling Silver, which the SEC claims the brothers attempted to defraud along with Scottish Annuity and Life Holdings Ltd. and Michaels Stores, Inc.

Also ensnared in the charges are the brothers’ lawyer Michael C. French and stockbroker Louis J. Schaufele III.

Aside from their roles as entrepreneurs, the Wylys are known as major donors to Conservative causes. According to the watchdog site OpenSecrets.org, the brothers have provided GOP candidates and committees with more than $2 million over the last two decades.

The SEC’s complaint can be read here.

Thad Allen Meets With Gulf Leaders

By Miles Wolf Tamboli - Talk Radio News Service

National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen spent Thursday morning with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Parish presidents from the Gulf region.

Speaking with reporters, the former Coast Guard official explained that the leaders had discussed and agreed upon three major issues: “to assess how we can move forward from response to recovery,” and to refine the team’s hurricane preparedness plans following Tropical Storm Bonnie in such a way that the command will be able to respond to more varied degrees of storm systems, and to develop a “joint vessel of opportunity employment plan,” said Allen.

“Vessels of opportunity” are generally local commercial boats that have been put out of work by the spill, and subsequently employed by the response team, explained Allen.  Unfortunately, the joint command will need to move to employing more specialized contractors in the near future, leaving many of these vessels out of work yet again.

The meeting also provided leaders the opportunity to voice their concerns over the large amount of boom that has yet to be deployed, which could end up further harming marshlands if not removed before any intense storm, explained Allen.

Allen further reported that BP’s next attempt to stop the leak, known as the “static kill,” may be implemented sooner than Monday, as authorities had initially expected. The static kill is similar to the top kill method, which BP had attempted but failed to implement earlier in the leak, but has a better chance of success, say authorities, due to the reduced pressure of the leak and the engineering of the “stacking cap” that is now keeping the leak contained.

House Democrats Want New Afghanistan Policy

By Sarah Mamula - Talk Radio News Service

Though a $59 supplemental bill that funds continued military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan passed earlier this week, 102 Democrats voted against it. Several of them expressed their dissatisfaction with continued U.S. military presence in Afghanistan on Thursday.

“Osama Bin Laden remains at large, the terrorist threat is alive and well, [and] Afghanistan remains in the grips of crushing poverty,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif). “This is now the longest war in our nation’s history, and the longer we stay, the worse it gets.”

Dr. Robert A. Pape, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago and expert on terrorism and insurgency, offered a 3-year plan to end U.S. occupation in the country. The first year of the plan involves empowering local Afghan groups for self-protection while decreasing troops on the ground. In the second year, the plan places the position of forces in the North and West regions before finally withdrawing troops in the third year.

“This is the policy we should be pursuing in Afghanistan,” he said.

Rep. Michael Honda (D-Calif.) pointed out that the U.S. spent 103 months in Vietnam, and the U.S. is currently in its 105th month of military aggression in Afghanistan.

Woolsey used public dissatisfaction with the war to urge a change in strategy.

“The American people are running out of patience, and with 114 members of the House voting…against the war…Congress is beginning to catch up to the public,” she said. 

“It is time to try something new.”