Failure to meet constitution date worries Iraqis

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L16002850.htm

Failure to meet constitution date worries Iraqis

BAGHDAD, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Some Iraqis expressed fear on Tuesday that extending talks over a new constitution could cause more problems than it solves, while lawmakers put a brave face on their failure to draft the document by Monday's deadline.

The U.S. administration, which pressed hard for the charter to be completed by Aug. 15, also looked to play down the failure, with both President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praising the effort, if not the result.

Violence, which has dogged the country for more than two years and which some hope will be tempered by the writing of an inclusive constitution, persisted. A mortar round landed near Baghdad's protected Green Zone as politicians met on Monday.

....

The delay is not in the interests of the Iraqi people and the longer the process is drawn out, definitely the more harm it will do," said Ihsan Ali, a Baghdad resident sitting reading newspaper reports of the talks' collapse.

[cthrumatrix]

1. passing a constitution based on Islamic law and lesser womens rights

would be a major black eye to bush .... that is if Americans actually read a newspaper and questioned a damn thing.

[rodeodance]

2. even cnn make a crack today about how Condi played it down--it was

pretty good.