Political Progress Update
POLITICAL PROGRESS UPDATE....The Iraqi parliament is adjourning for the year:
Iraqi legislators suspended parliamentary sessions Thursday until Dec. 30 because of Muslim religious holidays, ending efforts to pass U.S.-backed legislation aimed at achieving national reconciliation this year.I doubt very much that any "important measures" will get passed in the January rump session. It's much more likely that parliament will — barely — pass a budget and then recess again. So that means even if the political climate starts to improve, it's going to be a minimum of April or May before any important bills get passed, let alone the full package that the U.S. has been insisting on as a sign of political reconciliation.....Dec. 30 is one day before the end of the current term for parliament. Lawmakers normally would take a recess for two months at that time, but they were expected to extend the term by a month so they could meet in January to pass a budget and other important measures, a senior U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.
Nothing surprising here. I don't think anyone expected any serious progress this year. But still not good news.