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BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament was set to
name apresident and two vice presidents on Wednesday
after weeks ofhaggling, in a major step toward
forming a new government morethan two months after
historic elections.
Leaders of the main political blocs said veteran
Kurdishpolitician Jalal Talabani would be named
president, while thevice presidents would be Adel
Abdul Mahdi, a Shi'ite who wasfinance minister in
the outgoing government, and Sunni Arabtribal leader
Ghazi Yawar, the previous president.
The Islamist-led Shi'ite alliance that won a slim
majorityin parliament and the Kurdish coalition that
came second in thepolls have been arguing for weeks
about forming a government.
They have also been trying to include
representatives ofthe Sunni Arab minority that
dominated Iraq under SaddamHussein but was left
sidelined after most Sunni Arabs stayedaway from the
Jan. 30 polls due to intimidation and calls for
aboycott. There are only 17 Sunni Arab lawmakers in
the275-member parliament.
Disagreement over which Sunni Arab would be vice
presidentheld up a deal, but political leaders said
late on Tuesday thatYawar had been chosen over elder
statesman Adnan Pachachi.
INSURGENT ATTACKS
Once the presidential council is appointed it must
name aprime minister within two weeks. Shi'ites and
Kurds have agreedthat Islamist Shi'ite leader
Ibrahim Jaafari will be primeminister, taking over
from secular Shi'ite Iyad Allawi.
Jaafari is expected to be officially appointed on
Thursday,and will then name a cabinet. Disagreement
remains on somecabinet posts, particularly the oil
ministry which is covetedby both the Shi'ites and
the Kurds.
Many Iraqis have complained that politicians have
let themdown by taking so long to form a government.
Several Iraqiofficials say the delay has benefited
Iraq's insurgents.
A U.S. soldier was killed in Baghdad when
guerrillasambushed a patrol with a roadside bomb and
then opened fire,the American military said. On
Tuesday, the military announcedthat four U.S.
soldiers had been killed in attacks in Iraq.
Since the invasion in March 2003, at least 1,540
U.S.military and Pentagon personnel have lost their
lives in Iraq.
U.S. officers say the frequency of insurgent attacks
isfalling. But in recent weeks guerrillas have
fought severallarge-scale battles with U.S. forces
-- an unusual developmentas insurgents generally
favor hit-and-run attacks.
On Monday, dozens of insurgents fought U.S. and
Iraqiforces in a remote area east of Baghdad. Two
Americans and oneIraqi soldier were killed, the U.S.
military said.
On Saturday, more than 40 U.S. soldiers and 12
prisonerswere wounded when insurgents attacked Abu
Ghraib jail west ofBaghdad with suicide bombs,
mortars and small-arms fire. Thebattle raged for
around an hour.
Last month scores of guerrillas attacked a U.S.
convoy nearSalman Pak southeast of Baghdad. The U.S.
military said itrepelled the attack and killed at
least two dozen insurgents.
Reuters
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