Unbreaking News

Just saw al-Jazeerah's evening news and now they are reporting that there has been a last-minute glitch in Jaafari's presentation of his cabinet to the presidency council.

The presidency council is President Jalal Talabani (Kurd), VP Adil Abdul Mahdi (Shiite) and VP Ghazi al-Yawir (Sunni Arab). Al-Yawir is apparently dissatisfied with the final Sunni Arab participation in the parliament, and wants some specific ministries for the Sunni Arabs, including Education, which had not been reserved for them.

The cabinet has to be approved by all three members of the presidency council, so al-Yawir can hold it up.

This dynamic, of the three presidents, each representing one of the major ethnic groups, was set up by the Bush administration, and it is having predictable effects. It has allowed the religious Shiites to cut the minority secular Shiites out of the deal, since they don't have a representative on the presidency council.

I suspect the hold-up is fairly temporary. But maybe Condi Rice should call Ghazi al-Yawir, too, just to be on the safe side.