Pelosi calls for fighting corruption, helping Iraqi govt.

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday called for fighting corruption and stretching a helping hand to the Iraqi government to make further progress. The Iraqi parliament speaker is looking forward to cooperation and we will discuss the details of eliminating corruption, Pelosi said in a press conference she held with her Iraqi counterpart Iyad al-Samarraie. For his part, Samarraie said that joint cooperation between Iraq and the United States is still ticking despite all the obstacles. Pelosi had arrived in Baghdad for a surprise visit to meet with senior Iraqi officials. She paid the visit as a date fixed for the U.S. withdrawal from Iraqi cities, late June, is drawing near. Pelosi’s visit to Iraq is her third. The two previous ones were on January 26, 2007 and May 17, 2008. Pelosi, the first woman ever to occupy the post of U.S. House speaker, was one of 126 Democrats inside the House to vote against the use of force in Iraq in 2002. However, she later voted in favor of financing the war. AmR (P) 1