The Waxman Cometh: Rice Hammered By Dems During Iraq Hearing

[babylonsister]

House Panel Critical of Iraq Contractors

ANNE FLAHERTY | October 25, 2007 01:11 PM EST | AP


WASHINGTON — Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House oversight committee, said Thursday that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has issued an order requiring his approval of any corruption investigations of himself or senior ministry officials.

Waxman, D-Calif., said the order essentially grants immunity to al-Maliki and his ministry at a time when fraud and abuse is rampant and hurting reconstruction efforts.

"These are not unfounded allegations," Waxman said. "This is Nouri al-Maliki's edict that no one will be referred to court unless he approves it."

In testimony before the panel, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was not aware of the specific order, but that the U.S. would oppose any policy shielding senior officials from criminal prosecution or investigation.

"It would not be the intention of the United States of America that any official of Iraq ... would be immune from investigations of corruption," she said. If the prime minister were to demand immunity from corruption charges, "that would not be an acceptable policy from the view of the United States."

The issue prompted a tense exchange between Rice and Democrats on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, who demanded that Rice publicly denounce the al-Maliki order they described. At one point, the usually unflappable Rice became visibly frustrated when Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., cut short her answers and repeatedly asked whether President Bush would call on Iraq to repeal the order.

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071025/us-iraq/

[PDJane]

1. One more time.

It's their country. It's their corruption. Unless the US decides to do something about the corruption at home, they haven't one damn leg to stand on!

[nebula]

2. Dems are great at 'hammering' and posturing

...but in the end they always hand over everything Bush wants on a silver platter.

[msongs]

3. hot air from paper tigers nt

[L. Coyote]

4. Has "Bringing Democracy" has become a euphemism for a dictatorship

[Disturbed]

5. At first I thought Waxman was going to do something.

Now I see he just barks. Woof. Woof.

[bbgrunt]

6. how can she publicly denounce something her own are doing?

...oh wait, I forgot that irony is lost on these people.