Senate really wastes its time on zip. B http://ap.google.com:80/article/ALeqM5hc6EU6GAy30dvwYeQPiumpM3uurw
Senate Urges Iraq Power-Sharing By ANNE FLAHERTY - 1 hour ago WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate passed a resolution Wednesday suggesting Baghdad limit the power of its federal government and give more control to Iraq's ethnically divided regions. The 75-23 vote marked the first agreement on Iraq among lawmakers in months, although it would have little practical effect. Republicans agreed to swing behind the nonbinding measure after it was amended to make clear that Bush should press for a new federalized system only if the Iraqis want it. Still, the resolution underscores a bipartisan longing in Congress for a fresh diplomatic approach in Iraq. It also was a victory for presidential hopeful Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., a primary sponsor of the resolution along with Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan. Biden advocates establishing a power-sharing agreement among ethnic factions similar to the one established in Bosnia in the 1990s. The U.S. has focused too much on trying to prop up a strong, central unified government in Baghdad, he said. "My view for over three years has been that will not happen in the lifetime of anyone in this room," Biden told reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference. It is unlikely the Bush administration will alter its policies on Iraq in light of the resolution. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in a letter Tuesday that the administration supports a federal Iraq, but it is a "sensitive issue best left to the Iraqis to address at their own pace." Republican co-sponsors to the proposal included Brownback, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Gordon Smith of Oregon. The measure picked up steam after Biden agreed to changes suggested by Sen. John Warner, R-Va., former chairman of the Armed Services Committee, that made clear the choice of federalism should be left up to the Iraqis. The resolution is the only war-related measure that has been able to overcome the Senate's 60-vote threshold since debate began this month on a defense policy bill. Last week, the Senate rejected three Democratic proposals aimed at limiting troop deployments or ending combat. Voting for Biden's proposal were 26 Republicans, two Independents and 47 Democrats. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., joined 22 Republicans in opposing the measure. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
