other developments

other developments

Iraq’s government has kept thousands of dead, injured or absent policemen and soldiers on the payroll as a way to compensate for care for their families, an audit found. The practice is just one example of why there are no reliable numbers on how many Iraqi forces are on the job at any given time, says the report being made public today by Stuart Bowen, the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction.

Iraq’s prime minister said Thursday that all political blocs have agreed to return to the Shiite-led government — a potentially important sign of success in efforts toward national reconciliation. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s optimistic remarks came a week after lawmakers with Iraq’s main Sunni political bloc said the group has agreed in principle to return to the government nearly nine months after quitting the Cabinet. A return of the Sunnis would be a boost to al-Maliki and seen by Washington as a significant step forward.

Source: Associated Press