Maliki Aide's Statement Came After U.S. Call

WaPo ^ | 7/20/2008 | Dan Eggen

[mojito]

The statement by an aide to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki calling his remarks in Der Spiegel "misinterpreted and mistranslated" followed a call to the prime minister's office from U.S. government officials in Iraq. Maliki had expressed support for a withdrawal plan similar to that of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama in an interview with Der Speigel. U.S. troops should leave Iraq "As soon as possible, as far as we're concerned," Maliki had said. "U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes." But after the Spiegel interview was published and began generating headlines Saturday, officials at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad contacted Maliki's office to express concern and seek clarification on the remarks, according to White House spokesman Scott Stanzel. Later in the day, a Maliki aide released a statement saying the remarks had been misinterpreted, though without citing specific comments.

[mojito]

Mr. Prime Minister, be careful what you wish for.

[Popman]

But after the Spiegel interview was published and began generating headlines Saturday, officials at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad contacted Maliki's office to express concern and seek clarification on the remarks, according to White House spokesman Scott Stanzel.

Obama is an moron, the MSM and the left wing netroots are going hold him to that 16 month time frame and when it comes and goes and we still have troops there at whatever level, he will be pressured to do something and untimely cost more American and Iraqi lives

Of course democrats don't care about American soldiers lives so par for the course

[ChocChipCookie]

If this is a true reflection of the Iraqi government’s wishes, then I say get the hell out of Iraq, now. Don’t leave even one American behind. I’ve been very pro-war, but heck, if this is the thanks we get, then to hell with the lot of them.

[Chgogal]

Ditto that.

[TennTuxedo]

if this is the thanks we get, then to hell with the lot of them.

We would just have to come back and kill more terrorists.

[GOP Poet]

yes. I think about all the US troops that have given their lives and continue to. Wow. Just wow.

[Kolokotronis]

“Of course democrats don’t care about American soldiers lives so par for the course.”

Interesting comment. I suppose the fight but don’t win mentality which marked the efforts of both political parties in Vietnam and Korea is substantially different from the brilliance of our fight, die, come home smashed to pieces but for God’s sake don’t offend our dear friends the practitioners of the Religion of Peace. That shows a real, deep and abiding concern for the well being of our soldiers, right Pop?

[traderrob6]

Need 30,000 permanently and a base out in the desert. That’s ther way it will end up.

[alicewonders]

If this is a true reflection of the Iraqi government’s wishes, then I say get the hell out of Iraq, now. Don’t leave even one American behind. I’ve been very pro-war, but heck, if this is the thanks we get, then to hell with the lot of them.

I've been thinking that for some time now. All of our soldier's sacrifice, and they will still end up hating our guts. If this is true, then I say bring our soldiers back home.

[airborne]

LOL!!!

It’s Obama getting thrown under the bus this time!!!!

[alicewonders]

We would just have to come back and kill more terrorists.

If we have to do that for whatever reason, we can do it from the air - not with our soldiers down on the ground.

[kcvl]

So freaking what, Dan Eggen?!

If I were President I would want to know exactly what the Prime Minister meant as well.

[purpleraine]

May 24, 2007

(The Politico) President Bush said today if the Iraqi government were to ask the United States to leave Iraq, he would grant the request.

"We are there at the invitation of the Iraqi government. This is a sovereign nation. Twelve million people went to the polls to approve a constitution. It's their government's choice,’’ the president said during a Rose Garden news conference. "If they were to say leave, we would leave."

Last week, The Politico reported that some Republican leaders in Congress held the same view.

— Ryan Grim Copyright 2007 POLITICO

[forYourChildrenVote4Bush]

This Prime Minister is An Iranian Plant....

It was the Iranians that Played the Americans...

The Iranians are trying to elect a president that would be a disaster to the Americans..

The Americans need to wake up to the fact, and i believe that 911 was orchestrated by the Iranians so they could continue their Nuclear development...

Thats my opinion, all organized by the Iranians... Thats my take on things

[SoCalPol]

War By Proxy and why we must win.

[SolidWood]

That's tinfoil area you're entering. Neither is Maliki an Iranian plant, nor were they behind 9/11. At least there is zero evidence that it was anyone but the Wahhabi Al-Qaeda. The Mullahs are "merely" taking advantage of the situation in post-Saddam Iraq. It depends what WE do with it. We have Iran circled in with Iraq and Afghanistan. If we don't use it to our advantage to get down the Iranian regime, but just play wait and see, they will of course try to treat us like sitting ducks. We have to get aggressive against them and their proxies, and the whole course of action since 2001 will play to our advantage.

The Iranians are trying to elect a president that would be a disaster to the Americans.

With due respect, I don't think it's the Iranians voting our President. It's dumb Americans voting. The Mullahs merely hope for Americans to be stupid enough to vote for Obama.

[forYourChildrenVote4Bush]

I cant believe 50% of Americans are so dumb that they would pull out of Iraq and let the Iranians walk into (walk in with Nuclear weapons) Iraq, take over all oil, than what???

What will Americans do about it????

Nothing, if they cant even confront an Iran that has NO nuclear weapons now, how the hell are they going to kick out Iran from Iraq in 2 years???

We are so freaking doomed...

At least ill have the pleasure of seeing the environmentalists go ape shit when the first nuclear bomb starts detonating...what a joke..

[normy]

I don't care what Maliki wants or the Iraqi people for that matter. We didn't sacrifice thousands of American men to take orders from them. We are there for our interests and that what takes precedent.

What if Maliki said get out in six months? He's out and someone else is in.

[forYourChildrenVote4Bush]

come on, they are doing it to Israel and they are doing to the USA...

They are not dumb, they learned in Israel and are applying it in Iraq....

I remember in an Interview with B. Clinton after 911, they asked him who he thought had done it, and he mention B. Laden and the Iranians...Here is one guy who had internal documents to bring up the Iranians...

[SoCalPol]

If we pull out, it will make the fall of Saigon look like Sunday picnic. Only this time we won’t be able to rescue
the fleeing