Iraq Parliament On Recess; Marine Killed
Iraq's parliament on Monday shrugged off U.S. criticism and adjourned for a month, as key lawmakers declared there was no point waiting any longer for the prime minister to deliver Washington-demanded benchmark legislation for their vote.
Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani closed the final three-hour session without a quorum present and declared lawmakers would not reconvene until Sept. 4. That date is just 11 days before the top U.S. military and political officials in Iraq must report to Congress on American progress in taming violence and organizing conditions for sectarian reconciliation.
The recess, coupled with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's failure to get the key draft laws before legislators, may nourish growing opposition to the war among U.S. lawmakers, who could refuse to fund it.
Critics have questioned how Iraqi legislators could take a summer break while U.S. forces are fighting and dying to create conditions under which important laws could be passed in the service of ending sectarian political divisions and bloodshed.
As the lawmakers adjourned, the U.S. military said a Marine had died Monday in fighting in the Anbar province west of Baghdad. Three U.S. soldiers were killed fighting in Anbar on Thursday. At least 3,652 members of the U.S. military have died since the start of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
An Apache helicopter also went down Tuesday after coming under fire in a predominantly Shiite area in eastern Baghdad, but both crew members were safely evacuated, the military said.
In leaving parliament, many lawmakers blamed al-Maliki.
"Even if we sit next month, there's no guarantee that important business will be done," said Mahmoud Othman, a prominent Kurdish legislator. The parliament had already extended its session by a month, having initially planned a recess for July and August.
"There are Iraqi-Iraqi and Iraqi-American differences that have not been resolved," Othman said of the benchmark legislation. "The government throws the ball in our court, but we say that it is in the government's court and that of the politicians. They sent us nothing (to debate or vote)."
The September reports by Ambassador Ryan Crocker and U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus were to assess progress by the Iraqi government and its security forces on 18 political and security benchmarks.
Those include a so-called oil law that would set out rules for foreign investment and the fair distribution of revenue to all of Iraq's sects and ethnic groups.
"We gave the government a good chance by continuing to sit in July. We can still return for an emergency session if that's required, but I don't think that this is necessary because the draft legislation is not complete," said Salem Abdullah, spokesman for the Iraqi Accordance Front, the key Sunni bloc in parliament.
In other developments:
American casualties in July are the lowest since the troop surge began in February, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin, and civilian casualties are down by a third. U.S. officials attribute that to the dismantling of networks which make roadside bombs and to American soldiers protecting the local population. It would only take a few spectacular attacks to reverse those trends, but even critics of the war strategy are encouraged.
A small bus exploded Monday in a central Baghdad market district, killing at least six people and wounding doezens. Black smoke rose into the air after the blast struck a transit point near Tayaran Square, damaging several nearby cars and kiosks selling clothes, fruit and juice, police and hospital officials said. The minibus was one of several waiting for passengers heading to predominantly Shiite areas in eastern Baghdad.
Jurors were expected to hear testimony on Tuesday about troubling conditions for soldiers in Iraq when a court-martial for a Fort Campbell soldier facing rape and murder charges in the death of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and her family resumed. Pfc. Jesse Spielman, who is being tried on rape and murder charges, pleaded guilty Monday to lesser offenses as his court-martial began. The charges included conspiracy to obstructing justice, arson, wrongfully touching a corpse and drinking. (Read more)
President Bush's choice to head the military Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday an increase of troops in Iraq is giving commanders the forces needed to improve security there. "Security is better, not great, but better," said Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, speaking before the Senate Armed Services committee at his nomination hearing.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense chief Robert Gates are on a high-stakes diplomatic mission, trying to convince Iraq's neighbors to play a more helpful role in the war-torn country, and seeking to balance Iran's influence in the region. (Read more)
Iraq's army is making progress on training and recruiting, but a top American military commander says the country's outdated network for maintaining and repairing critical war-fighting gear is a major hurdle in the U.S. effort to fashion an independent Iraqi fighting force. Marine Corps Major General W.E. Gaskin says the troops themselves will be ready for sustained operations in about a year. But Gaskin adds that he's "not as optimistic about them being able to fix the logistics system."
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani closed the final three-hour session without a quorum present and declared lawmakers would not reconvene until Sept. 4. That date is just 11 days before the top U.S. military and political officials in Iraq must report to Congress on American progress in taming violence and organizing conditions for sectarian reconciliation.
The recess, coupled with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's failure to get the key draft laws before legislators, may nourish growing opposition to the war among U.S. lawmakers, who could refuse to fund it.
Critics have questioned how Iraqi legislators could take a summer break while U.S. forces are fighting and dying to create conditions under which important laws could be passed in the service of ending sectarian political divisions and bloodshed.
As the lawmakers adjourned, the U.S. military said a Marine had died Monday in fighting in the Anbar province west of Baghdad. Three U.S. soldiers were killed fighting in Anbar on Thursday. At least 3,652 members of the U.S. military have died since the start of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
An Apache helicopter also went down Tuesday after coming under fire in a predominantly Shiite area in eastern Baghdad, but both crew members were safely evacuated, the military said.
In leaving parliament, many lawmakers blamed al-Maliki.
"Even if we sit next month, there's no guarantee that important business will be done," said Mahmoud Othman, a prominent Kurdish legislator. The parliament had already extended its session by a month, having initially planned a recess for July and August.
"There are Iraqi-Iraqi and Iraqi-American differences that have not been resolved," Othman said of the benchmark legislation. "The government throws the ball in our court, but we say that it is in the government's court and that of the politicians. They sent us nothing (to debate or vote)."
The September reports by Ambassador Ryan Crocker and U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus were to assess progress by the Iraqi government and its security forces on 18 political and security benchmarks.
Those include a so-called oil law that would set out rules for foreign investment and the fair distribution of revenue to all of Iraq's sects and ethnic groups.
"We gave the government a good chance by continuing to sit in July. We can still return for an emergency session if that's required, but I don't think that this is necessary because the draft legislation is not complete," said Salem Abdullah, spokesman for the Iraqi Accordance Front, the key Sunni bloc in parliament.
In other developments:
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Why exactly should Iraqis give a ******* about Americans? We invaded them and unleashed this on them right? Not the other way around right? If you really think it is **********, then you are angry with Bush and company (Republican Congress) for fighting so hard to keep this going, because truth be known, no one wants us there except Republicans and our Iraqi collaborators--the Iraqis never had a choice in what we did. Not in invading them, not in bombing them, not in occupying them and not in staying and pretending we were the heros and saviours of them. This is our government's doing. the Iraqis? they just have to endure all of this until we have enough sense or lose enough of our stomachs to stop this **********.
But why be mad at the Iraqis, We are like the arsonists, who starts a crazy fire, then rushes in to help put it out and wants to be thought of as a hero. Who really is grateful to such a monster?
Only an idiot would have our soldiers protecting a hostile country where the only 2 things they are really dying for is to protect the collaborating puppet regime and the bottom line for American companies in the area.
Scre*w 'em. Leave now. They're not worth the effort now and they never have been. Leave and let them all sink or swim on their own. We won't of course because Bush wants the US bases there for his coming invasion of Iran. The benchmarks are a joke just to distract US public opinion while the preparations for the next war are being made.
Troops Home Now! Down with the Regime! The enemy is in Washington! The borders are open and the vile louts are touting terrorist threats to the 'Homeland'....Time for the Chimp to find a new goat story book, a place out of the way of danger from which to watch the false-flag fun!
Posted by rharrin1 at 09:45 AM : Jul 31, 2007
We agree.
Americans may have short memories and attention spans, but surely they can remember the numerous times the Bush administration has claimed "we're turning a corner," "stay the course."
Followed by more catastrophic failures and "midunderestimations."
This is the worst administration in US history and it is not possible for them to help form governments in other nations. They can't operate one in this nation.
Lying, denying and obfuscating is not normally considered good governance.
And what reason were we given by the Bush Administration?
It will be too hot for them to sit.
Sounds fair doesn't it?
I'm sure our soldiers would appreciate some time off and a bit of respite from the heat - but they won't get it.
Instead, they'll be putting their lives at risk while Iraqi politicians relax.
Why George, why?
"We gave the government a good chance by continuing to sit in July."
This is bul*lshit!!! We need to get our troops out of there immediately. These people don't give a *** about anything. To hell with all of them.
At the bare minimum our troops should be pulled into the green zone and not allowed to leave until this extension-of-Washington based government returns to business. We're trying to shape their government based on ours - and unfortunately it looks like it's working.
The surge failed, the Iraqi "government" failed, Bush failed and there is no reason to continue using US soldiers as policemen for lazy, uncaring Iraqis.
Time to bring the troops home and impeach Bush and Cheney.