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Different take on Israeli action

Bush, Iraqi PM differ on Mideast crisis as local Democrats look to boycott his address to Congress

BY CRAIG GORDON AND GLENN THRUSH | Newsday Washington Bureau

July 26, 2006

WASHINGTON - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki yesterday refused to condemn Hezbollah guerrillas for their role in the Israel-Lebanon crisis, prompting Sen. Charles Schumer and other local Democrats to declare a boycott of his address to Congress today.

Al-Maliki touched off the diplomatic dustup when he clashed with President George W. Bush yesterday over who was to blame for the fighting. Al-Maliki criticized the "damage and destruction" caused by Israeli attacks but said nothing on Hezbollah's role.

The Iraqi leader also pressed Bush to seek an immediate cease-fire, something Bush has pointedly refused to do even as Israel has stepped up its attacks.

Al-Maliki addresses a joint meeting of Congress today, but Schumer, Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Jamaica Estates) and Rep. Nita Lowey (D-Westchester) say they'll stay away.

Schumer is breaking with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who called al-Maliki's comments "unfortunate and discouraging" but said she planned to attend.

"I think it's a personal decision for everybody, given his position on Hezbollah and offering amnesty for those who kill American soldiers. I could not sit there," Schumer told Newsday yesterday.

Schumer was referring to Al-Maliki's proposal to grant amnesty to some former insurgents as part of a national reconciliation plan.

Other Democrats called on the Republican leadership in Congress to cancel al-Maliki's comments outright, but Republicans said the speech would go on.

Al-Maliki's comments were remarkable in that the survival of his government depends directly on U.S. military support.

Bush grimaced slightly as he acknowledged that he and al-Maliki had a "frank exchange" over the Lebanon situation - oft-used diplomatic code words for a sharp disagreement. But Bush stood by his call for "sustainable cease-fire" - meaning one that either disarms or disables Hezbollah enough to prevent the group from threatening Israel again.

The dispute overshadowed what the White House had tried to promote as a historic meeting between Iraq's first fully sovereign leader and his political and military partner.

Yet in some ways, it would be extraordinary for al-Maliki to rebuke Hezbollah guerrillas, because of his leadership role in the Dawa Party. The Dawa Party in Lebanon merged with Hezbollah in 1983 or 1984.

Maliki was the exiled representative of the Iraqi Dawa Party in Syria and Lebanon in the mid-1980s. Hezbollah also has very close ties to followers of Muqtada al-Sadr, an important element of Maliki's ruling coalition, area experts said.

Asked later about Dawa's ties to Hezbollah, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said he was unaware there was a relationship.

Timothy M. Phelps and J. Jioni Palmer of the Washington bureau contributed to this story.