BAGHDAD — At least they had a quorum.
After a monthlong summer break, though, the 154 Iraqi lawmakers who reconvened Tuesday for a fall session showed few signs of urgency to tackle legislation that could help determine the future of the U.S. troop presence in their country.
A day after President Bush made an unannounced visit to Iraq, the latest by U.S. officials pressing Prime Minister Nouri Maliki to hasten political progress, none of the bills seen as crucial to driving national reconciliation came up for discussion.
One lawmaker suggested, half jokingly, that the red curtains in the chamber be replaced with a more calming hue to keep tempers from flaring.
At least one other legislator said he was insulted that Bush had bypassed the capital Monday and limited his visit to a U.S. air base in Anbar province.
"I want to mention my reservation and abhorrence as the meeting was held in an American base in a country having sovereignty," said Abdul Kareem Enizi, a member of Maliki's Islamic Dawa Party. Maliki, President Jalal Talabani and his two vice presidents flew to see Bush in Anbar, where a decision by Sunni Muslim tribal sheiks to stop supporting Sunni insurgents has greatly reduced violence.
U.S. military and political leaders are expected to focus on Anbar's improved security next week when they present a report to Congress assessing the effect of the troop buildup in Iraq. Bush, who is facing demands from some members of Congress to begin withdrawing troops, had hoped that before the report was presented, lawmakers here would have passed some major bills aimed at stabilizing the country. They include legislation to manage the country's oil revenue and to permit members of former dictator Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to return to government jobs and receive federal pensions.
The tone of the 90-minute session Tuesday suggested that passage of such bills was not imminent.
The meeting began with a roll call of the 275-member body. High absenteeism is not unusual at parliament sessions, and has been cited frequently by critics as a cause of slow political progress.
The parliament speaker, Mahmoud Mashadani, spoke first, reminding lawmakers of the importance of carrying out their duties "in a way which serves the Iraqis and maintains their dignity, sovereignty, and the future of their generations."
