Iraq elections

The article i have chosen is an interview with an Iraq expert, Brian Katulis. The interview revolves around the recent election that has taken place in Iraq. The initial impression of the election turnout seems to be good. The numbers show that 60 percent of the eligible voters cast their ballot. These numbers are slightly lower than the election of 2005. With the recent up-rise in violence, these numbers are higher than expected.

Katulis goes on further saying that election day was a great success for Iraq. The real test however, will come in next few months. The new leaders of the country will have to show that they are have the ability to stabilize the region and protect its citizens on its own. The minority groups in the country are hoping that they can because they have been under constant persecution since before the war started.

The election results could spark more violence throughout the country. There have been millions of weapons entering the country for the past six years and these weapons may be in the hands of rival political groups. Depending on who wins, there could be some type of retaliation involved. The challenger, ( former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi), has already indicated that he would accuse the other side of election fraud.

Katulis says that the country is still completely divided along several lines. The differences stem from ethnic and religious differences. These differences have led to the political transition to become very stagnant. It seem that the internal power struggle has left the country in the current position.

He also believes that some Americans are not going to be able to let go of Iraq's future. He feels that since America has put so much into this war, that the American public will not want to leave the country when it is time. He also says that President Obama will enact his troop withdraw on schedule.

I chose this article because i find it very interesting to see how other countries view the Iraq war. I can't think of anyone i know that has not been effected by this war in some way. I never have really thought about what other countries think about this war. I think that we are nearing the end of a very difficult journey and we need to concentrate on how we can take care of our soldiers coming home and not care what others think. Even though I don't think that their opinions matter, it is still interesting to hear it.

I found this article at:http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,682599,00.html

Lufthansa strike

The management of the oldest airline company in Germany caught a break this week. The nearly 80 year old company Lufthansa was staring at a huge loss in profits until one woman decided to step in. Frankfurt labor court judge Silke Kohlschitter was able to bring the representatives of the union and management together this week. The pilots were already 18 hours into the strike when negotiations were reopened.

The two sides were able to reach an agreement on the most important issues which were: salary increases, better working conditions, and more rest time for the nearly 5,000 Lufthansa pilots. Several other issues were placed aside and still remain unsolved at this time. The pilots however, are once again flying passengers to and from destinations.

This agreement could not have come at a better time for the German airline because for the first time, they are seeing profits dwindle. This can be linked to a number of reasons. One reason is of course, the current economic situation in the world. More and more company's will no longer shell out more money for their business travels. They now choose coach tickets over the more expensive first class. The company also spent 16 billion euros on a fleet of new aircraft that have yet to be completed. They can not turn those planes into a profit until they are airborne. The end of the strike could not have come at a better time for Lufthansa and it will save the company more than 1 billion euros in lost profits.

I chose this article because it truly shows that the economic crisis we are facing at home is also a global crisis. It seems that the German airline company is facing many of the same finical troubles that many Americans are seeing as well. The company tries to improve itself by purchasing new and badly needed aircraft only to have profits drop at the worst possible time. The pilots are asking for what they think is fair compensation for the job they perform and the company is trying to enact cost saving measures to keep it afloat. Hopefully this economic downfall can somehow turn itself around in the near future. I know that we are all ready to hear some good news come out of the business world.

I found this article at:http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,681193,00.html