Posted on 03/01/2008 1:04:16 AM PST by JohnHuang2
Politics has broken out in Baghdad.
Long derided as dysfunctional, Iraq's parliament in recent weeks has passed a package of laws on the budget, elections and sectarian reconciliation that have given cautious hope to U.S. officials and private analysts that the gains from President Bush's military surge are finally being matched by a political surge as well.
Daniel Serwer, a specialist on post-conflict societies, recently led a delegation from the Washington-based U.S. Institute of Peace to Baghdad to assess the political scene and interview the major Iraqi players inside the Green Zone.
"The popular image is that things are completely deadlocked in Baghdad," he said. "That's not what we found at all."
Instead, he said, the delegation found Iraqi politicians cutting deals, making compromises and forming alliances based more on power and votes that on religious or ethnic bonds.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
good news!
The Dems are deeeply disappointed.
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