July 19, 2007
Sunni Bloc Returns To Iraqi Parliament Two Weeks Before Vacation
The Sunni Arab bloc of the Iraqi parliament said it would return to work today after its three-week boycott. Lawmakers walked out last month in protest of Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani's ouster from the Shiite-dominated assembly and Prime Minster Nouri al-Maliki's subsequent handling of legal proceedings against the controversial Sunni lawmaker. Iraqi officials have confirmed that the bloc will resume its participation in the Council of Representatives now that al-Mashhadani has been reinstated to his leadership post.
The timing of the Sunni bloc's return to work comes just two weeks before the legislative body's planned August vacation. The holiday plans have drawn sharp criticism from U.S. lawmakers who charge that the Iraqi government has not been reaching the critical benchmarks needed to make progress in the war-torn country.
Last week, White House press secretary Tony Snow shrugged off those concerns, stating, "You know, it's 130 degrees in Baghdad in August." He clarified his statement yesterday, calling it a "dumb line" and saying "we expect the Iraqi government to continue working at all times toward the goals of political accommodation and reconciliation."
