Iraq's first parliament meeting delayed

Senior Alliance official Jawad al-Maliki said the bloc, which has close to a majority in the parliament elected in December, was determined to resist Sunni and Kurdish efforts to force it to drop Shi'ite Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. 

"The Alliance has sent an envoy asking for a postponement in the session until the 19th," said Talabani's spokesman Kameran Qaradagi. "The presidency, out of caring for the Alliance participation, has accepted the request."