Iraqi assembly descends into chaos, Iraq TVs go blank

[G_j]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1447551,00.html

Iraqi assembly descends into chaos

James Sturcke and agencies
Tuesday March 29, 2005

The meeting of Iraq's national assembly descended into chaos today as politicians failed to agree on a candidate for speaker.
Amid acrimonious scenes, the new governing body convened briefly, for only the second time since national elections in January, and admitted defeat in its efforts to nominate a Sunni candidate for the role.

The bickering exposed tensions in the newly formed parliament, with the outgoing interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, storming out of the session, followed by the interim president, Gazi al-Yawar

"What are we going to tell the citizens who sacrificed their lives and cast ballots on January 30?" asked Hussein al-Sadr, a Shia cleric and member Mr Allawi's coalition.

..more..
=====================================
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0328-06.htm

Sunnis' Exclusion from Political Process Stokes Fears of Civil War
by Tom Lasseter

BAGHDAD, IRAQ -- While American officials point to the bargaining among Shiite Muslim and Kurdish politicians over an interim Iraqi government as evidence that democracy is taking hold in Iraq, some Iraqi analysts and politicians are increasingly worried about the group that's missing from the equation: Sunni Muslims.

Almost two months after national elections, Iraq's Sunni minority remains fragmented and largely alienated from the horse-trading. If that continues, the group that's long dominated Iraq could find itself shut out of December's prime ministerial election as it was on Jan. 30, when Sunnis won only a few seats in Iraq's new parliament.

Lawmakers had planned to meet this weekend to form a coalition government that's expected to be dominated by Shiites and Kurds, but the session was postponed at least until Tuesday.

On Sunday, Shiite and Kurdish leaders said that many of the key decisions about the new government had been made. Both groups stand to receive most of the key positions - prime minister, president and the major cabinet posts - leaving the Sunnis further estranged.

..more..

[ananda]

1. growing pains

Butbut.. I'm sure these are just the growing pains of bringing freepdom and demockracy to a land that wants it so much, along with God and my hus...

Condi

[joanski01]

9. That's exactly what Rummy said

in his press conference today. I hate those lying pricks.

[G_j]

11. Stuff Happens: Donald Rumsfeld as master historian.

from the GOP dictionary: http://www.alternet.org/story/21615 /

[MisterP]

2. see! this is what happens when you criticize Allawi!

[Just Me]

3. Figures the neoCON-backed Allawi would blow a fuse.

Power-sharing is not a part of their agenda.

[Memekiller]

4. Last gasp of the insurgency n/t

[G_j]

5. "We demand to know the details of what's happening behind the scenes!"

one woman shouted before television feeds went blank.


Once it began, politicians immediately began arguing over whether to delay their decision, and the leader of the session decided to banish reporters and cameras and take negotiations behind closed doors.

[burythehatchet]

7. I would still rank their press over ours, even with their TV's off.

[G_j]

15. our press might improve with the TV's off too

it occures to me. :-)

[tavalon]

16. Trust me

it does.

[lala_rawraw]

6. Chaos on the march? n/t

[G_j]

8. Bush says not to worry

(betcha this made 'it all better')

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A9778-2005Mar29?language=printer

Bush Plays Down Iraq Political Disputes

By TERENCE HUNT
The Associated Press
Tuesday, March 29, 2005; 12:23 PM

WASHINGTON - President Bush, on a day of political turmoil in Baghdad, acknowledged Tuesday that Iraqis are divided over the future of their country but said the differences "will be resolved through debate and persuasion instead of force and intimidation."

"The free people of Iraq are now doing what Saddam Hussein never could: making Iraq a positive example for the entire Middle East," Bush said in remarks in the Rose Garden. He spoke to an audience of Iraqi law students, members of the religious community and others.

..more..

[incapsulated]

10. So if they have Taiwan-style smackdowns on the floor....

It won't be televised?

No fair.

:cry:

[Blue_In_AK]

12. The US should get out of there NOW

before the real civil war breaks out. We have no business being involved in Iraqi politics at all. These people will either figure it out or they won't, but it has nothing to do with what goes on in America. This whole war couldn't possibly have anything to do with OIL, could it? :sarcasm:

[oasis]

13. Chaos is Bush's choice for the Iraqis. The orderly dictatorship was a

somehow a threat to the region. Unlike the orderly dictatorships in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. :eyes:

[G_j]

14. or Pakistan for that matter

who we just sold some fighter jets to (seriously upsetting India of course)