In Iraq, Pitts (R-PA) urges completion of new gov't-Baghdad not 'war torn'

In Iraq, Pitts urges completion of new gov't
By Daniel Burke
Lancaster New Era
Published: May 12, 2006 12:56 PM EST

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - An American delegation that included U.S. Congressman Joe Pitts had an urgent message for the new Iraqi leader.

“We told him the people in the U.S. are getting impatient. They want this government to be formed. They need to get on with it,” Pitts said he told Nouri Al-Maliki, the prime minister-designate of Iraq.

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The congressmen were in Iraq for less than a day, arriving in Mosul then boarding a helicopter to Baghdad, Pitts said. Two car bombs exploded while the delegation was in Baghdad, according to the congressman.

Pitts described that city as “well, I don’t want to say ‘war torn’ but you could see it was not kept up very well.”

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Still, leaders from Turkey, Jordan and Greece urged the congressmen to find non-violent solutions to confronting Iran.

“Every person said ‘Please, there is no acceptable military solution. Use diplomacy,’” Pitts recalled.

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