“Ray Odierno” on The Daily Caller

Since 2001, a dozen commanders have cycled through the top jobs in Iraq, Afghanistan and the U.S. Central Command, which oversees both wars. Three of those commanders — including the recently dismissed Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal — have been fired or resigned under pressure. (more)

After months of interruptions, the high court in Iraq finally certified the March election results thereby removing another barrier as the road to forming a government proceeds. The results stand with former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi in the lead with 91 seats and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a close second garnering 89 seats. The political jockeying will begin in earnest. There’s talk of weeks and months until the Iraqi people see that day. (more)

The last few weeks have shown an uptick in violence throughout Iraq in comparison to the relative calm the nation has experienced over the last few years. Iraq is in far better shape but the inability to form a government over two months after the March 7 elections has given the insurgency another reason to strike. It’s also another reason that Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, could delay the start of the Aug. 31 “waterfall” drawdown of 46,000 U.S. Soldiers by one month to June. A senior official in Baghdad told the Associated Press that “from a military perspective, the best way for us to maintain security is to hold as many forces on the ground until we need to redeploy them. It’s really prudent, given the political conditions are unsettled, for (Odierno) to wait as long as he can.” (more)

Instead of bringing reconciliation to his country, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is throwing up barrier after barrier.  On Friday, he became incensed over former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi’s call for further international involvement stemming from the March 7 elections.  This, despite the fact, that Iraq’s foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, suggested intervention by the international community may be needed.  “We will not allow any foreign interference in our internal affairs that will breach our sovereignty,” Mr. Maliki said.  Breach our sovereignty?  It appears the Prime Minister is well on his way to accomplishing this himself. (more)

Even as al-Qaida continues their last-ditch efforts at thwarting the ongoing progress in Iraq, and the election fiasco continues, our military involvement is slowly winding up.  The U.S. military says that by Sept. 1, 50,000 U.S. Soldiers will remain at 96 bases throughout Iraq. “Operation New Dawn” will commence. (more)

It’s official. An Iraqi court has ordered a partial recount of the March 7 election results despite assurances from the United States and United Nations that the vote was fair and free. Shortly after the elections, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called the results “unacceptable and unreasonable” and demanded a recount. The ruling is limited to the province that includes Baghdad but the Prime Minister hopes that’s enough to move him ahead of former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi in a vote that is reminiscent of the 2000 Presidential election in the United States. “Baghdad, with a total of 70 seats, was by far the biggest prize for parties competing,” according to AFP. Mr. Maliki has said he will accept the final results but the potential for Mr. Allawi to be upended has everyone on edge and fearful of looming violence. (more)

The results from the March 7 elections were announced in Baghdad Friday night and what an upset it was.  Former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi narrowly beat out current Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki taking 91 seats in the Iraqi Parliament.  Maliki’s party won 89 seats.  That’s close and a severe setback for Maliki.  However, the outcome doesn’t necessarily guarantee Allawi his old job back, only allowing him to be the first to try to form a government.  Maliki did win 26 seats in the key Baghdad province, two more than Allawi. (more)

The March 7 national elections have left Iraq divided. Final results are expected today and the political jockeying is in full swing. (more)

On one of her recent Facebook status updates a friend made reference to the Academy Award winning movie, “The Hurt Locker,” calling it “the most intense thing she’s ever watched.”  From Facebook to Twitter to the blogs and the mainstream media, “The Hurt Locker” has gained more attention recently than when it first hit the screen last summer.  The movie chronicles an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team during the Iraq War. (more)

It has been nearly a week since Iraqis stepped into the ballot box and made history once again. Even some Western experts who predicted a 55 percent-60 percent turnout were surprised when the election commission announced that 62 percent of Iraq voted. Partial results released Thursday evening from five of Iraq’s 18 provinces showed Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with a slight lead. Former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi was doing well in Sunni areas north and west. (more)

As voting begins in Iraq, the Iranian government is wringing their hands with fear and nervousness that this young democracy will alter the landscape of the Middle East into something they do not welcome. “They continue to play a role in supporting surrogates inside of Iraq that continue to conduct attacks both against U.S. and Iraqi security forces,” Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said at a Pentagon press conference last week. (more)

Is a new day slowly dawning for Iraq? In about a week, the Iraqi people will go to the polls once again in perhaps the most important election to date since the 2003 war began. This is yet another milestone in an ongoing series of transitions that began on Jan. 1, 2009. I was in Iraq then and in a journal wrote of that first milestone. “Today was the moment the U.S. and Iraqis have waited for—the Security Agreement is now in effect that will chart the future course of Iraq with the eventual drawdown of U.S. forces here.” (more)

We might have known that come election time in Iraq, it’s rarely the voting that counts. (more)