NPR: Iraqi Legislature Breaks for Recess Without Progress

Iraqi Legislature Breaks for Recess Without Progress

Nothing, it seems, nothing, can make Iraqi legislators move faster toward the set of benchmarks the U.S. Congress feels absolutely necessary to achieve.

So it was time to go on vacation.

Iraqi legislators are starting a monthlong recess today. The break comes, however, after the current session had been extended by a month to try and reach deals on important issues like "oil investment and revenue-sharing among regions, the re-integration of former members of Saddam Hussein's Baathist regime into government, and provincial elections," the Los Angeles Times reports. But it just wasn't going to happen. And, based on the sectarian divides in parliament, it seems unlikely that these benchmarks will be reached anytime soon.

The relationship between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the American commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, is not helping the situation. The Associated Press reports that it is apparently so poor that al-Maliki may ask Washington to withdraw Petraeus. Petraeus' decision to arm some Sunni militant groups to battle al-Qaida in Iraq has infuriated the Iraqi PM, who is a Shiite.

An unnamed diplomat quoted by the Times says we had better get used to frustration with the parliament: "Politically, there isn't going to be a breakthrough," said the diplomat, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not stating official policy. "There isn't going to be the sun comes up one day and everybody loves each other. They are going to muddle through, but in this part of the world, a lot of governments just muddle through for years."

I doubt, however, that "muddling through" is going to thrill American lawmakers who know that progress in Iraq may be the key to their re-election -- or their defeat -- at the polls next year.

9:23 AM ET | 07-31-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

The Iraqis will never be united. In that way, Iraq bears a substantial resemblance to the former Republic of Yugoslavia. So,I think Biden has the right idea. We should give up on the idea of a united Iraq. Split them up, guard the borders, protect our allies, and continue to hunt AQI.
For Iraq to remain united the Iraqis have to want it at least as much as we do, and if they are not willing to work in August to save their country while our sons and daughters are dying to give them time to work out their differences, then we have to recognize that we want it more than they do. Not that I expect our administration to recognize that.

Sent by Mike Ivy | 1:00 PM ET | 07-31-2007

In both the former Republic of Yogoslavia and Iraq it was through the absolute and harsh power of a tyranical leader that the different peoples became united. These different peoples intermarried, lived side by side and co-existed.

In both places the culture tends to be 'looking back' rather that like ours 'looking forward'. Our memory tends to be short and we adjust to change at a break-neck pace quite well. In contrast in those cultures there is a tendency to dwell on pivotal events of the past and the hurts and victories. Change comes much slower.

Peoples can and do change but not at the speed at which our culture is used to. If we look at Ireland they survived the incursion of many invading cultures and assimilated them and things were well for about 6,000 plus years until the impact of English Reformation caused dissention and 'the troubles' started in the mid 1500s. It took until the end of the 20th century (about 400 years) for the people themselves to finally come to an accord to cease violence. If it happened there it can happen anywhere with any peoples, it just takes much more time than we are used to. The history of 'the troubles' is longer than the entire history of our country.

Sent by Cynthia T. Smith | 3:49 PM ET | 07-31-2007

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