Posted on 05/15/2007 6:19:10 AM PDT by kellynla
Iraq's parliament should pass a new oil law and make progress on amending the constitution before the end of the month, two key "benchmarks" being demanded by U.S. officials, a top Iraqi official said yesterday.
Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih, one of the highest-ranking Kurdish officials in the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said that despite the increasingly pessimistic debate in Washington, Iraqi lawmakers should take action on both difficult issues in the coming days.
Mr. Salih said Iraqis are watching the U.S. debate over the Iraq war with mounting concern, saying that even recent signs of progress in Iraq are being overlooked in the partisan debate here.
"I know a lot of my colleagues are worried and watching the debate here very closely," he said in remarks at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. "Every nuance is analyzed -- maybe overanalyzed."
President Bush has rejected efforts by congressional Democrats to condition funding for the Iraq war on hard-and-fast benchmarks.
But both Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Vice President Dick Cheney have said in recent days that progress by the Iraqi government on the oil law and other key measures was essential for continued U.S. military and economic support.
Other U.S. benchmarks for the al-Maliki government include holding new provincial elections and amending the near-blanket ban on government and military posts for former members of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
Cheney musta chewed them a new one~!
“Cheney musta chewed them a new one~!”
well we can only hope so...
I only wish Cheney’s health were better so he could run for the presidency next year...
there is certainly no one better qualified for the job...
oh well...
The men who stick with the new Iraqi government are incredibly brave. Despite all the efforts to demoralize them and our troops by the rodents, they stick to their posts. They risk a certain, horrible death if the US departs prematurely.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.