POLITICS: Iraq’s Parliament Speaker confers with US Ambassador on current crisis
FILE – In this Dec. 12, 2009 file photo, Osama al-Nujeifi the elected parliament speaker speaks to the press after an Iraqi Parliament session in Baghdad, Iraq. Al-Nujaifi, and his brother, Ninevah Gov. Atheel al-Nujaifi, are two of the most powerful Sunni Arabs in Iraq’s north and have taken hardline pains to limit Kurdish power in Mosul. The 54-year-old speaker was born in Mosul and has a degree in electric engineering.
BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s Parliament Speaker, Usama al-Nujeify, has conferred in Baghdad on Thursday with the US Ambassador, James Jeffery, on the current political conditions in the country and the impacts of the political crisis, along with means for its settlement, through the common efforts aimed at the convening of the National Conference, scheduled to be held with the attendance of the major political leaders. “Usama al-Nujeify has received the US Ambassador to Baghdad, James Jeffery, at his Baghdad office, and both sides have discussed the bilateral relations between Iraq and the United State, and mans for their strengthening within the framework of the mutual development of interests on the economic, trade and other fields,” a statement by Nujeify’s office reported on Thursday. “Both sides have also discussed the current political conditions in Iraq and the impacts of the current crisis, as well as efforts to settle it, through the boosting of efforts to achieve the convening of the expected National Conference, aimed at putting an end for the tension and its escalation among different political forces in the country,” the statement stressed. Al-Iraqiya Alliance, led by former Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, had announced last Sunday its return to attend the Parliament’s sessions, reiterating that its decision had been taken in order to create healthy atmospheres that would help to hold the National Conference and its success, as well as putting an end for the crisis. Iraq is witnessing a major political crisis in the background of charges against Vice-President, Tariq al-Hahsimy, a leading member in al-Iraqiya Alliance and a decision by Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, to withdraw trust from his Deputy Prime Minister, Saleh al-Mutlaq, also an al-Iraqiya leading member, thing that made al-Iraqiya Alliance take its decision to boycott the Parliament and Cabinet meetings. Meanwhile, Iraq‘s President, Jalal Talabani, in an attempt to settle the current differences among the political forces, had conferred with Prime Minister Maliki and Parliament Speaker, Usama al-Nujeify on Jan.15th within the efforts to hold the said National Conference.