Iraq parliament approves al-Zaidi’s cabinet amid growing economic concerns

HOLD ON I HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS ONE BECAUSE IRAQ FINALLY HAS A FULL CABINET TODAY WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE YESTERDAY SINCE THOSE SEATS WERE JUST SITTING EMPTY FOR FIVE WHOLE MONTHS! PARLIAMENT JUST VOTED TO FILL ELEVEN PORTFOLIOS INCLUDING DEFENSE AND INTERIOR WHICH IS HUGE AND THEY EVEN CONFIRMED THREE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTERS BUT GET THIS ONE OF THEM IS LAITH AL-KHAZALI WHO IS UNDER US SANCTIONS! HE IS APPARENTLY A SENIOR LEADER IN A GROUP THE US CALLS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION SO THAT IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE COMPLICATED MOVING FORWARD THOUGH THEY DID POSTPONE THE VOTE ON THE MIGRATION MINISTER BECAUSE PARTIES COULD NOT AGREE ON WHO SHOULD GET THE JOB AND HONESTLY I DO NOT KNOW HOW THIS CHANGES THE ECONOMIC SITUATION BUT IT IS A BIG SHIFT. ANYWAY REMIND ME TO LOOK THIS UP TOMORROW.

RIGHT THE TIMELINE ON THIS IS MAD BECAUSE PRIME MINISTER AL-ZAIDI HAS BEEN SITTING THERE FOR FIVE MONTHS WAITING FOR HIS TEAM AND TODAY THE IRAQI PARLIAMENT FINALLY APPROVED THE MISSING PIECES! THEY LOCKED IN ELEVEN DIFFERENT CABINET POSITIONS LIKE EDUCATION AND CULTURE BUT THE REAL TALKING POINT IS THAT AMONG THE THREE NEW DEPUTY PMS IS A GUY NAMED LAITH AL-KHAZALI! THE US TREASURY ALLEGEDLY FLAGGED HIM AND HIS BROTHER AS GLOBAL TERRORISTS YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF ATTACKS ON US SOLDIERS BACK IN 2007 WHICH MAKES HIS APPOINTMENT PRETTY INTENSE DIPLOMATICALLY! THEY STILL HAVE ONE SEAT LEFT BLANK FOR THE MIGRATION MINISTRY BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT AGREE ON THE CANDIDATE BUT THE REST IS DONE SO NOW THEY HAVE A GOVERNMENT TO DEAL WITH THE ECONOMIC PRESSURE. ANYWAY DO NOT QUOTE ME ON ANY OF THAT.

Iraq's parliament confirmed 11 cabinet positions and three deputy prime ministers, including one sanctioned by the US, five months after Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi took office.

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