Iraq parliament at full strength just in time for vacation

[postcon]

Iraq parliament at full strength just in time for vacation


Lawmakers from two major blocs in Iraq's parliament ended boycotts and returned to work this week, just two weeks before all the politicians go home for a controversial monthlong summer break.

Sunni lawmaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, pictured in June, is back on the job as Iraq's parliament speaker.


http://www.cnn.com/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/base_skins/baseplate/corner_wire_BL.gif


The office of Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, the top Sunni politician in Iraq's government, on Thursday confirmed the end of the walkout by the 44-member Iraqi Accord Front, which includes al-Hashimi's Iraq Islamic Party.
The mainly Sunni bloc had suspended its participation in the Council of Representatives last month in protest over the ouster of the Sunni parliament speaker, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani.
But al-Mashhadani -- whose Shiite deputy replaced him after a bitter quarrel between his camp and a Shiite lawmaker -- is back in the saddle as head of parliament.
On Thursday, he was seen on state TV presiding over parliament. He had maintained his membership in parliament but boycotted the sessions while he was out as speaker.
The Associated Press reported that the Iraqi Accord Front made a deal with other blocs in parliament to reinstate al-Mashhadani and that he was expected to preside over several sessions and then resign. An aide to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told the AP that the deal that reinstated al-Mashhadani had to remain secret.


On Tuesday, the 30 members of the Sadrist bloc -- the Shiite lawmakers who back populist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr -- ended their boycott of the 275-member parliament. Their boycott was prompted by the bombing of Al-Askariya Mosque and dissatisfaction with the security at religious shrines and the pace of rebuilding mosques damaged in attacks.
As for the summer break, Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish lawmaker, said that the Iraqi parliament (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/iraqi_politics) would take a monthlong recess in August.
U.S. lawmakers, government officials and others have criticized the planned hiatus.
"We decided to take the vacation, and we insisted on taking a vacation because the U.S. administration has put high pressure on us, interfering with our business and treating us as servants, not as parliament members," said Othman, who noted that such breaks are constitutionally mandated.
U.S. officials have cited the unfinished business facing parliament, such as efforts to prepare legislation on de-Baathification and equitable sharing of revenue from Iraq's energy resources.
Othman said the Bush administration's pressures on Iraq to come up with an oil resources law are backfiring. Many lawmakers now are opposed to ideas that have been suggested for the legislation, he said.
Many observers question why the parliament is taking a break when Iraqi and U.S. troops, who are working to provide security for political reconciliation, are not.
The recess is scheduled just before a progress report is due from the top U.S. commander in Iraq. Gen. David Petraeus (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/david_petraeus) and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, are to report to Congress in September with an assessment of the troop buildup known as the "surge."

[kev655]

Simply fanatastic! Let the killing of U.S./U.K./Allied troops and innocent Iraqis continue whilst they sun themselves on a 'well-deserved' (NOT) break after half of them have boycotted Parliament for weeks.

Unbelievable....:no:

[Wolverine]

Sunnis end Iraqi parliament boycott By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jul 19, 9:18 AM ET



Sunni lawmakers ended their five-week boycott of parliament Thursday, raising hopes the factious assembly can make progress on benchmark legislation demanded by Washington. The U.S. said two American soldiers have been charged with killing an Iraqi.

Also Thursday, the U.S. command announced the deaths of five American soldiers. Four soldiers and their Iraqi interpreter were killed Wednesday in a roadside bombing in east Baghdad and one soldier was killed Friday by small arms fire near Rusdi Mulla, just to the southwest of the city.

The 44 members of the Iraqi Accordance Front attended Thursday's session after striking a deal with other blocs to reinstate the Sunni speaker, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who was ousted by the Shiite-dominated assembly last month for erratic behavior.

Al-Mashhadani is expected to gracefully resign after presiding over a number of sessions. Shiite legislator Hassan al-Suneid, an aide to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said al-Mashhadani's return came after secret conditions that should not be made public.

However, one official said al-Mashhadani has until Wednesday to step down or parliament will force him out. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.

"We all have to work together to rescue Iraq from the catastrophe which has befallen it," Sunni leader Adnan al-Dulaimi told parliament. "This is the first step in solving the Iraqi problem and in stopping the bloodshed."

The Sunnis ended their walkout two days after Shiite lawmakers loyal to anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ended their boycott after officials accepted their demands for rebuilding a Shiite shrine damaged by bombings.

Those two boycotts had paralyzed the 275-member parliament, which is under strong criticism from U.S. critics for failing to approve key legislation and for plans to take a month's vacation in August at a time when American and Iraqi troops are dying on the battlefield.

The sensitivities displayed by both the Accordance Front and al-Sadr's allies indicates the depth of suspicion and sectarian rivalry prevalent in Iraq after more than four years of war.

The U.S. military said an Army lieutenant colonel had been relieved of command in connection with the murder charges, which were filed this week against two soldiers — Sgt. 1st Class Trey A. Corrales of San Antonio and Spc. Christopher P. Shore of Winder, Ga.

Each was charged with one count of murder in the death, which allegedly occurred June 23 near the northern city of Kirkuk, the U.S. said.

Lt. Col. Michael Browder, who was their battalion commander, is not a suspect and has not been charged with any offense but was fired for leadership failure, the U.S. said.

The statement noted that the charges are allegations and neither of the two soldiers has been convicted.

The charges were announced one day after a U.S. Marine was convicted of kidnapping and conspiracy to murder in connection with the death of an Iraq last year in Hamdania. Cpl. Trent Thomas was acquitted of the most serious charge of premeditated murder during a trial at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Meanwhile, American and Iraqi forces were continuing operations to clear Sunni extremists from the eastern part of Baqouba, 35 miles north of Baghdad, the U.S. said.

U.S. troops killed three al-Qaida suspects Thursday as they tried to slip out of the city, Iraqi security officials said. Clashes occurred during the day as American and Iraqi forces moved through the streets, securing buildings and clearing explosives.

One insurgent explosives expert led U.S. and Iraqi troops to a bombs cache hidden in two homes of Shiites who had fled sectarian tension, police said.

U.S. troops regained control of the western half of the city last month and launched operations into the rest of Baqouba on Tuesday.

Since last month, the Americans said they have killed at least 67 al-Qaida operatives in Baqouba, arrested 253, seized 63 weapons caches and have destroyed 151 roadside bombs.

In Baghdad, suspected Shiite militiamen blew up the minaret on a Sunni mosque in the city's Jihad area, police said. The bodies of two men with bullets in their heads were found dumped near the mosque, police said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

Gunmen firing from a speeding car killed a bodyguard of a Sunni parliament member in Mosul, police said. A Kurdish political party member was ambushed and killed in eastern Mosul, police also said, speaking on condition of anonymity for the same reason.

In western Iraq, residents said assailants blew up two bridges in Haditha overnight. The bridges connect Haditha with Anah, about 160 miles northwest of the capital. The American forces are blocking the area now looking for those involved in the operation.

The residents spoke on condition of anonymity out of fears for their safety.



Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

[postcon]

Unbelievable....:no:


Sums it up quite well...it's friggin unbelievable...

[crabman]

Question or just maybe wishful thinking. Maybe they are all showing up to enact all the laws and stuff then hauling butt back to their homes and await the backlash being over. I know we are not in Kansas, but it could happen.

[jabt1979]

Keep your camel butts in session, pass the laws and WE CAN ALL GO ON VACATION.........

[po-cajun]

Let our soldiers have a month off also. See if they can get out of the green zone alive without the U.S. military protection. Stay and work you fools!!!!!!

[kev655]

Keep your camel butts in session, pass the laws and WE CAN ALL GO ON VACATION.........

Spot on!!!

[jabt1979]

Question or just maybe wishful thinking. Maybe they are all showing up to enact all the laws and stuff then hauling butt back to their homes and await the backlash being over. I know we are not in Kansas, but it could happen.


Spot on!!!
THANK YA KEV...LOVE YOUR POST

[yunowu]

Spot on!!!

Agreed !!!

[Midnight Tide]

Now before they go on vacation, they have to take a vote on increasing their salary - HCL, forget about it....

[furnizpr]

If they go to vacation without approving the HCL, I am sure that USA will put total pressure for them and maybe Bush will definitely make the parlament return back to work. The Bush life depends on the HCL and I don't think that Bush will let them go to vacation without the HCL approval.

[eatrocks]

Iraq parliament at full strength just in time for vacation


Lawmakers from two major blocs in Iraq's parliament ended boycotts and returned to work this week, just two weeks before all the politicians go home for a controversial monthlong summer break.

Sunni lawmaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, pictured in June, is back on the job as Iraq's parliament speaker.


http://www.cnn.com/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/base_skins/baseplate/corner_wire_BL.gif


The office of Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, the top Sunni politician in Iraq's government, on Thursday confirmed the end of the walkout by the 44-member Iraqi Accord Front, which includes al-Hashimi's Iraq Islamic Party.
The mainly Sunni bloc had suspended its participation in the Council of Representatives last month in protest over the ouster of the Sunni parliament speaker, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani.
But al-Mashhadani -- whose Shiite deputy replaced him after a bitter quarrel between his camp and a Shiite lawmaker -- is back in the saddle as head of parliament.
On Thursday, he was seen on state TV presiding over parliament. He had maintained his membership in parliament but boycotted the sessions while he was out as speaker.
The Associated Press reported that the Iraqi Accord Front made a deal with other blocs in parliament to reinstate al-Mashhadani and that he was expected to preside over several sessions and then resign. An aide to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told the AP that the deal that reinstated al-Mashhadani had to remain secret.


On Tuesday, the 30 members of the Sadrist bloc -- the Shiite lawmakers who back populist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr -- ended their boycott of the 275-member parliament. Their boycott was prompted by the bombing of Al-Askariya Mosque and dissatisfaction with the security at religious shrines and the pace of rebuilding mosques damaged in attacks.
As for the summer break, Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish lawmaker, said that the Iraqi parliament (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/iraqi_politics) would take a monthlong recess in August.
U.S. lawmakers, government officials and others have criticized the planned hiatus.
"We decided to take the vacation, and we insisted on taking a vacation because the U.S. administration has put high pressure on us, interfering with our business and treating us as servants, not as parliament members," said Othman, who noted that such breaks are constitutionally mandated.
U.S. officials have cited the unfinished business facing parliament, such as efforts to prepare legislation on de-Baathification and equitable sharing of revenue from Iraq's energy resources.
Othman said the Bush administration's pressures on Iraq to come up with an oil resources law are backfiring. Many lawmakers now are opposed to ideas that have been suggested for the legislation, he said.
Many observers question why the parliament is taking a break when Iraqi and U.S. troops, who are working to provide security for political reconciliation, are not.
The recess is scheduled just before a progress report is due from the top U.S. commander in Iraq. Gen. David Petraeus (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/david_petraeus) and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, are to report to Congress in September with an assessment of the troop buildup known as the "surge."



whats the secret

[COACH JACK]

The parliment leader speaking said something to the effect, "the vacation is mandated by law". Man, sovereign state or not, if these leaders leave their posts, we should truly consider stepping in and booting these guys all out. Period. :no:

[Cyberkhan]

The parliment leader speaking said something to the effect, "the vacation is mandated by law". Man, sovereign state or not, if these leaders leave their posts, we should truly consider stepping in and booting these guys all out. Period. :no:


Mandate this you lazy bums.....:no:

[Mazin-Man]

If they go to vacation without approving the HCL, I am sure that USA will put total pressure for them and maybe Bush will definitely make the parlament return back to work. The Bush life depends on the HCL and I don't think that Bush will let them go to vacation without the HCL approval.they could care less about bush, and what he wants...Nothing could be more obvious.:mad:

[heres-hoping]

Hope they make use of this time and do something proactive - like pass the HCL instead of bickering and then take a well deserved vacation.

[Garf]

Hope they make use of this time and do something proactive - like pass the HCL instead of bickering and then take a well deserved vacation.

Yes, pass it, RV... take the vacation and see if I care should they not return to work !

Sorry... daydreaming again :)

[jabt1979]

Don't let the door hit you in the butt!!!

[kev655]

The GoI are idiots: they quote the month long vacation as being a 'constitutional right' but they so quickly forgot they would not have the damn constitution in the first place without the price paid by the U.S./U.K. forces....IN BLOOD!!!

I hope the protesters in Iraq take a pole for each MP who use the 'constitutional right' quote and stick it where the sun don't shine OR behead them and stick the heads on the poles outside Baghdad as a reminder of the 'constitutional right' of the citizens to have something beyond purely existing!....

[Rohan's Rider]

Even if they do go on holiday they still have the time until August to get the HCL done. Makes you think that someone, somewhere really does not want this to work ... I wonder who that might be? A certain Iranian perhaps who somehow has managed to infiltrate the GOI and must have alot of influence. What else are we to believe? There is no logicial reason why the HCL is not done, surely it cannot just be laziness or incompetence.

Let's see what happens after the conference in NY today, just maybe Mr Shabibi may return with some proactive ideas.

With the terrible summer we are having in the UK we sure need something to give us a boost and a RV would be rather nice.

[LL-COOL-J]

Even if they do go on holiday they still have the time until August to get the HCL done. Makes you think that someone, somewhere really does not want this to work ... I wonder who that might be? A certain Iranian perhaps who somehow has managed to infiltrate the GOI and must have alot of influence. What else are we to believe? There is no logicial reason why the HCL is not done, surely it cannot just be laziness or incompetence.

Let's see what happens after the conference in NY today, just maybe Mr Shabibi may return with some proactive ideas.

With the terrible summer we are having in the UK we sure need something to give us a boost and a RV would be rather nice.


THANK YOU ,I BEEN SAYIN THE SAME THING FOR THE LONGEST,SOMEONE FINALY GETS IT,AS LONG AS WE HAVE THIS IRANIAN GOV. IN IRAQ I DONT BELIEVE WE WILL SEE AN RV,THEY ARE THE BIGGEST RISK FACTER WE HAVE IN THIS INVESTMENT

[rusrious]

Well we know how this goes, always show up for work before vacation, or you dont get paid for it,:eek:

[jimbo]

Well everyone! this just goes to show that the GoI and when push by the US and their allies to get things done doesn't help. It shows that they are taking our efforts in assuring them a free country and democracy is being taken for granted. They only care for a few group of people and can careless about the citizen of Iraq. This whole dinar thing can be a lost cause.

[geowhiz]

Hopefully they will enjoy themselves in Dubai or Jordan or wherever the hell they go and wont come back.

[jimbo]

THANK YOU ,I BEEN SAYIN THE SAME THING FOR THE LONGEST,SOMEONE FINALY GETS IT,AS LONG AS WE HAVE THIS IRANIAN GOV. IN IRAQ I DONT BELIEVE WE WILL SEE AN RV,THEY ARE THE BIGGEST RISK FACTER WE HAVE IN THIS INVESTMENT

DAMN GOOD QOUTE!!! :mad:

[EBJNYC]

THANK YOU ,I BEEN SAYIN THE SAME THING FOR THE LONGEST,SOMEONE FINALY GETS IT,AS LONG AS WE HAVE THIS IRANIAN GOV. IN IRAQ I DONT BELIEVE WE WILL SEE AN RV,THEY ARE THE BIGGEST RISK FACTER WE HAVE IN THIS INVESTMENT

Solution #1: Remove "Maliki" and install "Iyad Allawi" ASAP via "no confidence vote" !!!

Solution #2: Bomb Iran !!!

Solution #3: BOTH 1 and 2 above

[Wolverine]

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20070721/D8QH65VO0.html