(Iraqi) Political wrangling hurts Iraq progress (bencmarks)

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070311/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_benchmarks;_ylt=An98orXbpjvleaYUJn6zF.FI2ocA

Political wrangling hurts Iraq progress

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer Sun Mar 11, 2:10 PM ET

BAGHDAD -Iraq's fragmented leadership is struggling to meet the major benchmarks that it has pledged to the United States to achieve soon, with political wrangling and a chaotic legislature standing in the way.

The issue took on new urgency last week when House Democrats drafted legislation that would require President Bush to certify by July 1 and again by Oct. 1 whether the Iraqi government is making progress on security, an oil plan and constitutional amendments.
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Iraq missed the Dec. 31 target dates to enact laws establishing provincial elections, regulating distribution of the country's oil wealth and reversing measures that have excluded many Sunnis from jobs and government positions because they belonged to
Saddam Hussein's Baath party.

The U.S. is also pushing for constitutional amendments to remove articles which the Sunnis believe discriminate in favor of the Shiites and Kurds.

U.S officials also want Iraqis to pass a bill to set new elections for provincial governments to encourage greater public participation at the grass roots level.

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