Sadr Wants Talabani to Step Down
Iraqi Shiite Leader Muqtada Al-Sadr is seeking to appoint a new president as questions linger about President Jalal Talabani's return to Iraq.
The May 17 publication of four photos of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani created an atmosphere of joy and celebration among supporters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), especially in the Talabani stronghold of Sulaymaniyah. The images are the first to be released in the five months since Talabani's transfer to Germany on Dec. 20, 2012, for medical treatment following a stroke.
Amid the positive outpouring of emotion, the photos' release raised questions among observers about their timing and about statements made by Kirkuk Governor Najmaldin Karim, who is also Talabani's doctor, and the German physicians treating the president.
