Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki refused Sunday to accept the resignations of six Cabinet members, keeping open the door for a possible return of Sunni ministers whose departure last week caused a crisis in his unity government.Members of the Sunni bloc known as the Iraqi Accordance Front, or Tawafiq in Arabic, said al-Maliki's action would not affect their decision. But a senior member held out the possibility that a resolution could be reached at an upcoming summit of leaders of Iraq's main ethnic and religious blocs.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he believes the troop buildup completed in June is beginning to improve security but blamed Iraqi politicians for failing to pass legislation aimed at reconciliation.
He expressed disappointment at the Sunni withdrawal from Cabinet, as well as parliament's decision to take the month of August off. He told NBC's "Meet the Press" that he had urged the country's presidency council, which consists of its president and two vice presidents, not to follow parliament's example.
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