Baghdad, Iraq – Iraq’s parliamentarians, under pressure from Washington to prove political progress that might expedite an end to the war, demonstrated Monday their determination to take up issues important to them: They voted to oust their speaker for rude behavior.
Declaring the speaker’s latest outburst the final straw, the Shiite-led body decided to request that Mahmoud Mashadani, a Sunni, be ousted. The move will not affect the balance of power in the lawmaking body, which requires that he be replaced by another Sunni.
As lawmakers gathered in a closed session to debate Mashadani’s behavior, which has included slapping a fellow lawmaker and cursing him on the floor of parliament, the U.S. military said that violence had cost the lives of three Americans and destroyed a major piece of infrastructure.
In addition, at least 17 Iraqis were found dead across the capital, police said.
Three U.S. soldiers died when a suicide bomber blew himself up beneath a highway overpass on which a U.S. checkpoint was stationed south of Baghdad. The attack occurred Sunday night, and the deaths were announced Monday.
North of Baghdad in Diyala province, insurgents blew up a strategic bridge in the provincial capital, Baqubah, on Monday. There were no immediate casualties reported.
The United Nations delivered a dismal report on the status of the U.S.-led effort to quell Iraq’s violence by putting tens of thousands of additional soldiers in Baghdad and neighboring areas, including Diyala.
Secretary-General Ban Ki- Moon said the troop increase had fallen short of its goals to protect civilians, rein in militia fighters and quell sectarian warfare. He singled out increasing mortar and rocket attacks on the heavily fortified Green Zone, where the U.S. Embassy, Iraqi parliament and many government installations are based, as a sign of how things are worsening.
The legislature has been beset by sectarian and personal dissent since its formation after Iraq’s national elections in December 2005.
It has come under increased pressure from Washington to take up laws on sharing national oil wealth, returning ousted Baath Party officials to government positions and tackling constitutional reform issues.
None of the so-called benchmarks has been brought before parliament, however, and lawmakers are scheduled to take a two-month summer break from July 1 through the end of August.
