Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Iraqi campaign launches campaign to expel U.S. embassy from presidential palace
Politics
(VOI) - More than 350,000 Iraqis have joined the campaign launched by the Iraqi Umma (Nation) party to expel the U.S. embassy from the presidential palace in the green area, while the party extended the campaign's deadline to May 2, an official from the Umma party said on Monday. The Umma party, headed by legislator Methal al-Alousi, called for expelling the U.S. embassy from its headquarters in the presidential palace in Baghdad for it represents a symbol of Iraq's sovereignty, and carried out a national campaign to collect signatures in support for this campaign.
"The number of Iraqis who so far have joined the campaign reached 350,000," Fareq Hadi, a party senior member, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) over the phone. The official expected that the number would exceed one million by the date set for the end of the campaign. "We will continue the campaign till the parliament recognizes our demand, as we find a wide-scale support by Iraqi citizens," the official added. "The party decided to extend the campaign's deadline, due on April 20, till Wednesday on May 2," he continued. Hadi also pointed out that the campaign faced some difficulties in Iraq's provinces as some parties opposed it. Umma party has only one seat out of the 275-member-parliament.
Labels: Green Zone, Iraqi Umma party, Methal al-Alousi, U.S. embassy
