One-third of Iraqi legislators absent

[Barrett808]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi lawmakers returned to work Tuesday, some traveling from the Kurdish north, others from the Sunni Arab west and still others from the Shiite south.

About one-third, however, didn't bother to show.

After a monthlong vacation, the large number of no-shows at a short parliamentary session created dismay among colleagues and confusion about voting rules.

During the brief session, legislators in attendance passed a monthlong extension of an emergency law intended to prevent the nation from disintegrating into an all-out sectarian bloodbath.

"The elected leaders of Iraq are certain that terrorists and murderers will not succeed, no matter how arrogant and insolent they are," said Mahmoud Mashadani, the Sunni speaker of parliament.

But the grand rhetoric rang hollow to many Iraqis.

"During the Jihad massacre, they had closed sessions discussing their salaries and bargaining on how many cars they can get," said Ali Abdullah, a 31-year-old Sunni engineer from western Baghdad, referring to recent sectarian bloodshed in the capital. "People were being slaughtered and they were worrying about themselves."

(more)

http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/09/06/100wir_a3iraq001.cfm

[wuushew]

1. how is this different from our congress?

:shrug:

[Amonester]

3. A plutocracy here, a plutocracy there...

Plutocracies everywhere...
It's the real GOP* agenda.

* GOP = Gangsters Of PNAC

[kurth]

2. Have they been beheaded?

Or hogtied and shot?

[damntexdem]

4. To have been more accurate, Mashadani should have said:

"The elected leaders of Iraq are certain that terrorists and murderers will not succeed, no matter how successful they are."