Free Republic

President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will be putting off their meeting by one day, the White House said Wednesday. The delay comes after the high-stakes summit was marred by public disclosure of U.S. doubts about al-Maliki's capacity to control sectarian violence and a walkout of Iraq's coalition government by 30 parliamentarians loyal to radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Five Cabinet ministers and 30 lawmakers suspended their participation in Parliament saying their action was necessary because the meeting in Jordan constituted a "provocation to the feelings of the Iraqi people and a violation of their constitutional rights." Their...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon (news - web sites) postponed action on $18 billion contracts for 100 Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA - news) 767 tankers until the deal is investigated following Boeing's firing of two officials for ethical violations, Defense Department officials said on Tuesday. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told leaders of the Senate Armed Service Committee in a letter dated Dec. 1 that he was ordering a "pause in the execution" of the Air Force contracts to lease and buy the mid-air refueling tankers, a major setback in Boeing's two-year effort to sell the planes. Wolfowitz said his decision...