President Talabani returns from Germany

A source at the presidency reported that President Jalal Talabani arrived in Baghdad returning from Germany yesterday evening, where he had a successful knee surgery. The source pointed out, however, that Talabani’s presence will not help in holding the National Conference, which is put off due to the differences and rifts between the political blocs. The source indicated that whether the President is present or not, it is unlikely that the National Conference for Iraqi Political Forces would take place in the foreseeable future, due to the lack of mutual confidence among political powers, which implies the presence of a large divergence between the political parties. "The situation is not clear, so far, regarding the attitudes of the political blocs towards the conference, hence, the path is not paved for the conference. Political parties do not seem to want to reach an agreement," the source added, on condition of anonymity.