Outside parliament, Baghdad residents say attack shows how isolated leaders are.

[maddezmom]

Iraq legislators regroup after suicide blast

By Shashank Bengali and Laith Hammoudi - McClatchy Newspapers
Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, April 14, 2007



BAGHDAD -- Everyday Iraqis, contemplating Thursday's brazen suicide attack on the parliament building deep in Baghdad's heavily guarded Green Zone, said Friday that they saw a silver lining in the wreckage: Now their political leaders know what life is like in the rest of the capital.

"If it happens inside parliament, what do you think goes on in the streets?" asked Hussein Ali, 22, who was working at his sandwich stand just outside the Green Zone a few weeks ago when a car bomb exploded not 50 feet away. Five bystanders were killed.

Iraqis long have complained that Iraq's leaders and their American counterparts live a cloistered life in the Green Zone that gives them little sense of the dangers average people face every day. Protected by fortified compounds and personal security details in a 4-square-mile fortress of checkpoints and blast walls, politicians felt little urgency to resolve the divisions that are at the root of the country's sectarian warfare, Iraqis grumbled.

more:http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=103

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Your link goes to the "post a new thread" screen

Just sayin' ... ;)

[maddezmom]

2. oops, can't edit but here is the link

http://www.sacbee.com/341/story/154860.html

thanks for the headsup :hi: