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Length: 2:10
TONY HARRIS: And we are
just learning that a Sunni lawmaker has been released
by her captors nearly two months after she was
kidnapped with her seven bodyguards. Michael Ware is
with us from Baghdad. Michael, we're not used to
these situations ending this well. Give us the
update, the latest information that you have, sir.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Sunni
member of parliament Tayseer al-Mashhadani was
kidnapped almost two months ago, sparking an uproar
within the Iraqi parliament with Sunni members of the
house threatening to boycott the proceedings and to
withdraw from the cabinet has just been released
according to government officials and Iraqi state
television.
This is a very interesting development here in Iraq.
Mashhadani, one of the few women in parliament and
also a Sunni representing the minority Sunni block.
Remember, of course, the main stay of the insurgency
is Sunni, so she was seen to be as part of their
voice in parliament.
Now, when she was abducted on the first of July,
according to reports at the time, it was in an area
controlled by one of the rival Shia militias which
are imbedded within the government. You need to
understand that here in Iraq, here in Baghdad, every
suburb, every district is divided up. The currency of
politics is still found at the end of the barrel of a
gun.
So each suburb is controlled. The Sunni politicians
claim that because she was intercepted in that area,
allegedly by men in government uniforms, they claimed
that a militia within the government or allied to the
government was involved. However, we now see that
today as the reconciliation process pushed by the
Americans and supported by the prime minister --
al-Maliki -- began, she has suddenly been released.
Tony?
HARRIS: CNN's Michael Ware for us in Baghdad.
Michael, thank you.