Iraq cultivates ties to Democrats - By Borzou Daragahi for LA Times

[applegrove]

Iraq cultivates ties to Democrats
Expecting both U.S. parties to play a role in shaping policy, Baghdad starts building new relationships.
By Borzou Daragahi, LA Times Staff Writer
January 28, 2007

BAGHDAD — "Representatives of Iraq's government are hedging their bets on America's political future, hoping to keep U.S. support for their country strong by building ties with a Democratic Party that now controls Congress and is closely scrutinizing President Bush's Iraq policy.

"There's a decision to be in contact, find out what they want, what their concerns are and to tell them of our concerns as well," said Ali Adeeb, a Shiite lawmaker and close associate of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki.

Republicans have dominated Iraq policy since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Many of the first U.S. officials in Iraq were handpicked party activists.

In one sense, the Nov. 7 election that handed Democrats control of Congress changed little, even though it was largely viewed as a repudiation of the White House's Iraq policy. The State and Defense departments are still the primary instruments of policy in Iraq.

........SNIP"

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraqdems28jan28,0,4971850.story?coll=la-home-world

[applegrove]

1. ""I see that the Democratic ideas are more related to reality,"

said Ammar Tuma, a lawmaker who serves in Maliki's ruling Shiite coalition".

Nuff said!