Comparing New York Government to Iraqi Leaders

In a Saturday letter to the editor of the Elmira Star-Gazette, Vincent Azzarelli from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad writes:

Jay Gallagher's May 27 column about the chances for a death penalty vote in the Legislature was an interesting perspective on the idea of Rule of Law in New York, while we are trying to impose much harsher benchmarks and rules in Iraq.

Imagine how the Iraqis view a column like Gallagher's: The leadership of New York state won't vote because it's too politically dangerous; yet we continually ask the Iraqi politicians to vote and risk their lives, not just political careers.