N.Y. pols tune out Maliki
BY MICHAEL McAULIFF
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Thursday, July 27th, 2006

WASHINGTON - New York legislators offered a cold reception to Iraq's prime minister yesterday, with many boycotting Nouri al-Maliki's speech to Congress after he refused to condemn Hezbollah.

Before coming to address a joint session of Congress, Maliki criticized Israel, but not Israel's enemy, angering the New York delegation.

"I feel strongly that the United States Congress should not provide a platform for a supporter of Hezbollah," said Rep. Nita Lowey (D-Westchester), who boycotted the event along with fellow Democrats Sen. Chuck Schumer and Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Gary Ackerman and Carolyn Maloney.

"That's not the kind of person you consider an ally," Schumer said.

But some New York legislators attended, saying they wanted to give Maliki a chance.

A spokesman for Sen. Hillary Clinton said she was disappointed at Maliki's speech. Bronx Rep. Eliot Engel said he was so angry, he refused to applaud or stand.

"I found it almost insulting when he stood up there and talked about fighting terrorism," Engel said. "Apparently he feels Hezbollah's terrorism is fine."

Long Island Republican Rep. Pete King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he disagreed "100% with what Maliki said about Hezbollah and Israel." But boycotting him was "shortsighted" when the U.S. and Iraq need to present a united front to terrorists, King said.

"He is our ally," King said. "Our troops are over there fighting shoulder to shoulder and dying alongside his troops."

Other Republicans accused Schumer and the Democrats of scoring "cheap political points."

"It is woefully disrespectful and outrageous to boycott a speech of a key ally," said Brian Nick, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "What a fine message to send to our men and women in uniform fighting in Iraq."

Maliki did not speak of Hezbollah, insisted the fight in Iraq was crucial to the United States and appealed to Congress to keep the aid flowing. He linked the attacks of Sept. 11 to "the same terrorists" killing thousands of Iraqis now.

"I know some of you question whether Iraq is part of the war on terror," he said. "Let me be very clear. This is a battle between true Islam, for which a person's liberty and rights constitute essential cornerstones, and terrorism, which wraps itself in a fake Islamic cloak."

The stakes in Iraq were highlighted again today with more grim news from the embattled country. The U.S. military reported the arrests of five alleged members of a sectarian "death squad." It also said leaders were considering extending the deployments of several thousand troops to quell surging violence in Baghdad.