Sen. Richard Lugar (news, bio, voting record), R-Ind., chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, said Sunday that pressuring al-Maliki may not work
because he does not have much clout.
"We keep saying, 'Go to your Shiites and get them straightened out, or the
Sunnis, or divide the oil.' And al-Maliki is saying, 'There isn't any group here
that wants to talk about those things,'" Lugar said.
Bush stood firm in his support for al-Maliki, saying he "has got what it
takes to lead a unity government." But the president noted the urgency the new
government faces to stop the killing.
"I'm patient. I'm not patient forever, and I'm not patient with dawdling,"
Bush said. "But I recognize the degree of difficulty of the task, and therefore,
say to the American people, we won't cut and run."
The outcome of a White House meeting Saturday among Bush and his top security
and military officials could become clearer early next week when Zalmay
Khalilzad, the US ambassador to Iraq, and Gen. George Casey, the top US
commander in Iraq, are scheduled to conduct an unusual joint news conference in
Baghdad.
The Bush administration took issue with a report in The New York Times on
Sunday that said Casey and Khalilzad were working on a plan that would outline
milestones for disarming militias and meeting other political and economic
goals.
The report said the blueprint, to be presented to al-Maliki by the end of
this year, would not threaten Iraq with a withdrawal of U.S. troops. The White
House said the article was not accurate, and the administration was constantly
developing new tactics to help the Iraqi government sustain and defend itself
and govern.
In all Sunday, at least 44 Iraqis were killed or their bodies were founded
dumped along roads or in the Tigris River. While the number was not high by the
grim standards of the more than 3 1/2-year war, the timing and targets revealed
a brutal disregard for the sanctity and meaning of the Eid al-Fitr holiday,
which is to Muslims what Christmas is to Christians.
After fasting from dawn to dusk for a month to become closer to God, the
holiday is a time when families and friends gather for sumptuous meals and
children are given new clothes and toys. Muslims also traditionally visit the
graves of loved ones.
"I don't think my family will go out and visit relatives this holiday," said
Hasnah Kadhim, a 54-year-old Shiite homemaker and mother of four. "There are too
many explosions."
Symbolic, perhaps, of Iraq's deepening sectarian split, only Sunnis are
celebrating the start of the Eid holiday on Monday. The country's majority
Shiites begin the three-day festival Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on which
senior cleric they follow.
"Things are getting worse every day in Baghdad," said Abu Marwa, the Baghdad
storekeeper. "So, it's logical that today will be better than tomorrow. That's
why I have no plans for the holiday."
Sunday's killings raised to at least 950 the number of Iraqis who have died
in war-related violence this month, an average of more than 40 a day. The toll
is on course to make October the deadliest month for Iraqis since April 2005,
when The Associated Press began tracking the deaths.
Until this month, the daily average had been about 27. The AP count includes
civilians, government officials and police and security forces, and is
considered a minimum based on AP reporting. The actual number is likely higher,
as many killings go unreported.
The United Nations has said at least 100 Iraqis are now killed
daily.
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