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WORLD NEWSMonday 10 August 2015
Iraq premier offers plan to trim criticized government
SINAN SALAHEDDIN and sectarian loyalties. Demonstrators chant in support of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, in the poster, during a
VIVIAN SALAMA The plan also effectively demonstration at Tahrir Square in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015. Iraq’s prime minister un-
Associated Press would push out of govern- veiled a bold plan Sunday to abolish three vice presidential posts and the offices of three deputy
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s ment former Prime Minister premiers, hoping to cut spending amid mass protests against his government as the Islamic State
prime minister unveiled a Nouri al-Maliki, widely criti- group still holds a third of his nation. Arabic on poster reads ‘”The people is your Iron fist in striking
bold plan Sunday to abol- cized for inflaming sectar- the corrupt”
ish three vice presiden- ian tensions and appoint-
tial posts and the offices ing loyal, less-qualified (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)
of three deputy premiers, senior officers to Iraq’s mili-
hoping to cut spending tary ahead of the Islamic
amid mass protests against State group’s advance last
his government as the Is- year. While al-Maliki issued
lamic State group still holds a short statement approv-
a third of his nation. ing of the proposed plan,
Prime Minister Haider al- he previously criticized al-
Abadi’s Cabinet backed Abadi’s rise to power last
the plan, which still needs year and repeatedly has
parliamentary approval, urged the current govern-
but it’s unclear whether it ment to address the coun-
could end the endemic try’s corruption and sectari-
corruption in Iraq’s political an crises. Al-Abadi’s seven-
system, where many senior point plan would dismantle
appointments are deter- portions of the top-heavy
mined by party patronage government created in
the wake of the 2003 U.S.- responsibility to the interior suspected of wrongdoing.
led invasion that toppled and defense ministries. The About a thousand dem-
dictator Saddam Hussein. plan also calls for the re- onstrators gathered late
It would reduce spending view of all corruption cases Sunday in support of al-
on personal bodyguards by a committee of experts, Abadi in Baghdad’s Tahrir
for officials and transfer the with fresh trials for officials Squareq
6 US F-16 jets arrive in Turkey to fight IS
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — people and the killing of a of peace and stability in
Six U.S. F-16 fighter jets ar- soldier by IS militants and the region,” the U.S. mili-
rived at Turkey’s southern agreed to allow the U.S. to tary said, using an alterna-
air base on Sunday to join use the strategically-locat- tive name for the militant
the U.S.-led coalition fight ed base. The moves ended group.
against Islamic State mili- months of reluctance by Turkish media reports say
tants, the U.S. military said. Turkey, giving it a more ac- the U.S. is expected to de-
The U.S. European Com- tive role in the U.S.-led co- ploy around 30 fighter jets
mand said in a statement alition against the extremist at Incirlik for strikes against
that the U.S. air force de- group. IS.
ployed a “small detach- Last week, U.S. armed Incirlik is located close to IS
ment” of six F-16 jets, sup- drones taking off from In- strongholds across the bor-
port equipment and about cirlik struck IS positions, der in Syria, allowing the U.S.
300 personnel at Incirlik Air and Turkish Foreign Minister to move more swiftly and
Base. Mevlut Cavusoglu said an nimbly against IS targets. Its
The detachment is part of “extensive” fight against use would enable the U.S.
the 31st Fighter Wing based the extremists would soon -led coalition to conduct
at Aviano Air Base, in Italy, begin. better surveillance over
it said. “The United States and Syria and act quicker on in-
Turkey carried out airstrikes Turkey, as members of the telligence than when it was
against IS targets in Syria 60-plus nation coalition, limited to launching flights
last month following a sui- are committed to the fight from places like Iraq, Jor-
cide bombing that killed 32 against ISIL in the pursuit dan and the Gulf states.q
