As occupation military operations loom over Mosul, political disputes remain unresolved in the Green Zone, reports Nermeen Al-Mufti Iraq is still bogged down in turmoil as it nears entering its sixth year under occupation. Human rights centres are often crowded with Iraqis looking for "missing" relatives, many of whom may be in detention. Visitors to these centres often wonder if they can sue US forces and Iraqi security services for torture and other abuses. Nearly 24,000 Iraqis are currently being held in US prisons, including children as young as 10 and men as old as 80. The tragedies in Iraq have prompted UNICEF to appeal for more funds to help Iraqi children in 2008. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived Sunday in Baghdad on a "surprise" visit. He congratulated Iraqi leaders on the security achievements made in Baghdad and other parts of the country and urged national reconciliation. But the real aim of the visit appears to be the offensive expected to take place in Mosul soon, as well as arrangements to withdraw some US warships from waters near Iraq. Over the past few days, Mosul has been bracing itself for a military campaign due to take place in reaction to the bombing in Al-Zanjili two weeks ago. Staff Major General Riyad Aziz, commander of operations in Nineveh, told reporters that "preparations have reached their final stage and reinforcements from Baghdad and other areas have arrived." Aziz said that he was authorised to recruit 4,000 local fighters to support his troops in the governorate. The locals would "take charge of certain areas while combing operations are taking place". Army spokesman in Nineveh, Lt Colonel Khaled Abdul-Sattar, said that the "leadership is currently finalising intelligence preparations ahead of the operation". He added that curfew has been imposed in southeast Mosul for three days to conduct searches and collect information. Iraqi army forces have already thrown a security cordon around the governorate to prevent Al-Qaeda operatives from escaping to nearby governorates, as they did during previous campaigns in Al-Anbar and Diyala. Iraqi helicopters, meanwhile, will be monitoring the borders with Syria. In Baghdad, the parliament is still debating the budget. Voting on the new budget has been postponed repeatedly due to the Kurdish demand that 17 per cent of state revenues should go to the north. Speaking at a news conference, Parliamentary Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani said that voting on the budget and other laws was postponed "due to differences among political blocs". He added that current statistics indicate that the Kurdistan region should receive 12 or 13 per cent of the budget, which is less than what Kurds were afforded in the past. Several attempts were made to reach a compromise solution, but to no avail. "There was an attempt to make a deal among the parliamentary blocs, but that hasn't materialised so far," Al-Mashhadani said. One suggestion was for Shias political forces to endorse the 17 per cent share for the north in return for the Kurds approving the governorates' law that the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq -- a key player in the US-sponsored Green Zone government -- supports. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani visited Ayatollah Al-Sistani, Iraq's top Shia cleric, in Najaf early in the week. An aid to the cleric said that the president sought Al-Sistani's opinion regarding the formation of a new national unity government. According to one report, Al-Sistani told Talabani that "Kirkuk is Iraq's turban and my own turban," an expression indicating his opposition to a Kurdish takeover of the oil-rich city. Differences among the three members of the Iraqi Presidential Council are believed to be hampering agreement on the approval of the oil and gas law, the formation of a new government, Kirkuk, the budget, and national reconciliation. The Presidential Council is made up of (Kurdish) President Jalal Talabani and his two deputies, Adel Abdul-Mahdi of the (Shia) Alliance Bloc and Tareq Al-Hashemi of the (Sunni) Accordance Bloc. Talks aiming to form a small government of technocrats are underway. The new government would try to use the security improvements of last year to boost the economy, provide better services, and enhance living standards. During his visit to Najaf, President Talabani said that current efforts aim at "bolstering the government with competent people". If current consultations are successful, Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki may announce the formation of a new government with 22-25 ministers, mostly technocrats, within days.
