This guy is available.
Posted on 08/22/2007 6:50:32 AM PDT by SE Mom
"No one has the right to place timetables on the Iraq government. It was elected by its people," he said at a news conference in Damascus at the end of a three-day visit to Syria.
"Those who make such statements are bothered by our visit to Syria. We will pay no attention. We care for our people and our constitution and can find friends elsewhere," Mr. al-Maliki said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
Not disputing most of your comment, but matter of factly Maliki has recently visited the now secured areas of Anbar and Diyala province (where most of the Sunni insurgency is/was taking place).
If he wants continued U.S. military support (i.e. my Soldiers, me, and 150,000 others like us), then he had damn well better put up with a few metrics from us. We have dumped almost 4,000 lives, over 20,000 or so wounded, and neary hundreds upon hundreds of billions of dollars into this dump, and he thinks he has the right to say, "No one can tell me what to do! No one can hold me accountable!" Bullsh*t.
Every time I hear some manicured Washington DC politician or bureaucrat spout off about "timetables" or "benchmarks" I want to p*ke.
Really? Does it make you sick enough to join up and help us out over here?
Exactly. Actually I'd go farther and say it's far more complex than simple "battle" (which can usually be understood at least on a geographic level, and objective criteria are usually obvious). Here it's not obvious what objective criteria might be, or even if any exist, nor is the lay of the battlefield all that observable. This makes any/all "plans" orders of magnitude more likely to be DOA.
IMHO we need to stop constantly griping about "the Iraqis" and either commit to the military presence, and make the best of it ourselves (applying "benchmarks" and "timetables" to our own actions, if we really must), or not. This constant hinting at somehow linking the ongoing presence/commitment to Iraq's government meeting this or that "benchmark" is just a waste for all concerned. As we are seeing, trying to constantly apply "benchmarks" to a guy who is already viewed as our puppet, and thus walking a very tricky (and dangerous) tightrope, can only backfire and force him into the arms of our enemy.
“3-day unshaven face was more of a message to the Arab world”
Propaganda is propaganda. Funny snip there (lol)
Actually his statement is not implying anything about the US.
The implication is he is trying to deny that he doesn’t give a crap about Iraq or its constitution, and if anyone points out the truth, well, Iraq could find “friends” in Iran or Syria.
That would just about do it do me....I would be out of there. He’s not our friend he. is Iran’s friend.
This is an "AP" (Always Phoney) story again folks, you can't read it too seriously. Where is the actual Maliki quote blaming Bush?
In the absence of a quote, I am going to assume this is just the babble of an anti-Bush AP writer.
Bingo.
Regarding giving the Iraqis democracy, it’s an example of be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.
I actually agree with him.>>>>
Mee too! I can’t stand what these a-wipes are saying, that we had no right to force regime change, yet, when it suits them, REGIME CHANGE!
Ayad Allawi was the first transitional PM.
He wasn’t elected but placed by us into his position.
His main problem is that although he is a Shia, he was a Baathist. Most Shias can’t have that.
Ibrahim Jafaari was was the first elected interim PM.
Generally said to be the worst of the three. However he oversaw the writing and ratification of the Constitution.
Nuri al-Maliki is the third PM, the second elected PM, and the first PM to serve a full term (if he isn’t replaced, which is likely).
What...is he thinking?
Oh, I don’t know, cutting off his hand to spite his face; stabbing his friends in the back; burning his bridges?
Well, it would be a short flight from the Green Zone to Sadr City...
‘Course Syria is in a defacto alliance with Iran, so Maliki’s move to cozy up with the Syrians is bound to make a few here & in Israel nervous.
If you read what he said, it clearly indicated he was speaking to those that objected to his going to Syria, Iraq’s neighbor.
He was pointedly telling THOSE objectors that Iraq can find friends elsewhere.
Just waiting to complain, aren’t you? I thought you liberals WANTED dialogue with Syria, Iran, and Iraq’s neighbors?
“This is an “AP” (Always Phoney) story again folks, you can’t read it too seriously.”
I took it as serious as the last time he said the US wasn’t going to put timetables on him. Anyone watching this situtation closely for several years knows how much trouble Maliki has caused us (the US) with our efforts in Iraq.
This guy is available.
..”Those who make such statements are bothered by our visit to Syria. We will pay no attention. We care for our people and our constitution and can find friends elsewhere,” Mr. al-Maliki said. -That strikes me as completely over the top. The implication is that the US does not care for Iraq or it’s constitution.
No the implication is that those that were helped into power had just as much opinion of US views as the previous leader there. Congratulations, we've done all the work for a coup and the other guys didn't have to lift a finger
Maybe Levin was trying to incite Iraqi nationalism.
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