Bush Plays Down Iraq Political Disputes

WASHINGTON - President Bush, on a day of political turmoil in Baghdad, acknowledged Tuesday that Iraqis are divided over the future of their country but said the differences "will be resolved through debate and persuasion instead of force and intimidation."

"The free people of Iraq are now doing what Saddam Hussein never could: making Iraq a positive example for the entire Middle East," Bush said in remarks in the Rose Garden. He spoke to an audience of Iraqi law students, members of the religious community and others.
....
Bush called Tuesday's session "another step on the road to a free society" and said the United States looks forward to working with the government that emerges.

"Iraq's new leaders are determined that the government of a free Iraq will be representative of their country's diverse population," Bush said
....
He said 145,000 Iraqis "have been trained and are serving courageously across Iraq" and in recent weeks had taken the lead in offensive operations in places like Baghdad, Mosul and Samarra.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050329/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush

Kumbayah.
And it's real hard work.
Kumbayah.

President Bush predicted on Tuesday Iraq's parliament will choose a new government soon, despite chaos that erupted between Iraqi lawmakers trying to reach agreement in Baghdad in only their second meeting.
....
"The trend is clear, freedom is on the march," Bush said.
....
Before speaking, Bush met with a number of Iraqi-Americans who voted in the United States in the Jan. 30 elections and were concerned about the delay.

"We don't have government to take care of the issues of security, services and reconstruction in Iraq," said Ali Al-Attar, president of the Arab American Medical Association in nearby Falls Church, Virginia.

He said they also told Bush of alleged corruption in the government and the lack of cooperation between ministries.

"Each minister is working as though he is king," he said.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2005/03/29/bush_says_he_expects_new_iraqi_government_soon/

Chimpy hopes that encouraging sign of Iraqi freedom will take hold in the USA - in a big way.

here`s your pay........

...force."

Sure they will. Everything's going so well over there.


Al-Qaida releases Iraqi execution video

BAGHDAD -- A videotape of the execution of an Iraqi Interior Ministry official by al-Qaida-linked insurgents has been posted on a Web site, The Times of London reports.
http://www.wpherald.com/Middle_East/storyview.php?StoryID=20050328-084430-7826r


NYT/AP: Iraq Official Discourages Demonstrations

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Iraq's interior minister warned citizens Monday not to hold protests, saying the gatherings were an invitation for a large-scale terrorist attack. His comments came a day after government bodyguards opened fire on a group of employees demanding higher wages, killing one person.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Iraq.html?hp&ex=1112072400&en=467304ce7e997a59&ei=5094&partner=homepage


Journalists kicked out of Iraqi parliament

BAGHDAD, Iraq <29 March>- Prime Minister Iyad Allawi walked out of a meeting of Iraq’s parliament on Tuesday after angry scenes erupted, with assembly members berating Shiite and Kurdish leaders for failing to agree on a government. The speaker of parliament ordered journalists to leave and declared the meeting would be held in secret, after politicians — one of them a leading member of Allawi’s bloc — denounced a failure to reach agreement two months after the historic Jan. 30 polls. Heading into their second-ever National Assembly session Tuesday, negotiators struggled over the issue of bringing Sunni Arabs into the government, a step officials hope will quell the Sunni-led insurgency. A meeting late Monday between Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni representatives failed to come up with a Sunni Arab candidate that legislators promised would be announced during Tuesday’s assembly session.
http://www.keralanext.com/news/indexread.asp?id=166637



Many injured in Kirkuk blast

At least 18 people have been wounded in a car bomb explosion in a predominantly Kurdish neighbourhood in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/70371D27-E0B2-4A29-B069-38E3768A586F.htm

Freedom is on the march. How many times has he said that exact sentence? What an embarassing little punk he is.

'He said 145,000 Iraqis "have been trained and are serving courageously across Iraq" and in recent weeks had taken the lead in offensive operations in places like Baghdad, Mosul and Samarra.'

Great! So, I guess we can bring the troops home, then.