Washington, D.C. -- Today, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), released the following statement on his absence from the joint Congressional address by Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki:

"What Prime Minister Maliki said about the tragic situation in Israel and Lebanon was only outweighed by what he did not say.  His refusal to condemn the terrorist activities of Hezbollah hopefully is not an indication of his willingness to fight terrorism in Iraq and the Middle East.  While I watched the speech from my office, I chose not to endorse his previous remarks by sitting in the chamber."