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Bush Pushed Maliki to Drop His Support for Obama's Iraq Plan

thinkprogress.org — In an interview released on Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made international headlines when he endorsed Obama’s plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq within 16 months. The U.S. military said that Maliki’s words had been “misunderstood and mistranslated.” The Iraqi officials were pressured by the Bush administration to do so.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jul 21, 2008

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  • fstfrk13, on 07/21/2008, -13/+61The Bush Administration is doing everything to elect McCain but they are in a losing battle. I can't wait till November.
  • inactive, on 07/21/2008, -14/+50NYT confirms Maliki's approval of Obama withdrawl plan

    rawstory.com — Direct translation of Maliki ’s comments: 'Obama’s remarks that — if he takes office — in 16 months he would withdraw the forces, we think that this period could increase or decrease a little, but that it could be suitable to end the presence of the forces in Iraq. Who wants to exit in a quicker way has a better assessment of the situation in Iraq.'

    http://rawstory.com//printstory.php?story=11358
  • OC73, on 07/21/2008, -8/+31Amazing how Bush is supposed to be this incompetent boob, yet he gets everything he wants.
  • rald84, on 07/21/2008, -11/+33dugg for pic of maliki giving bush a dirty "i don't trust this man" look
  • ninjaface, on 07/21/2008, -23/+37Fascism at its best. You're either with us or against us.

    I'm proud to be an american who's not proud to be an american.
  • InetRoadkill, on 07/21/2008, -13/+25Maliki should just give Bush the finger at this point. Bush is a lame, dying duck. It would actually benefit Maliki to do so since he would gain credibility in Iraq by rejecting Bush as his pupper master.
  • aaronadms, on 07/21/2008, -10/+22Dear Mr. Bush,

    ***** you. This may just be some big game for you, but the rest of the world actually cares about what's in Iraq's best interest. So you think ending the war would be admitting defeat? I thought we were calling this thing "Operation Iraqi FREEDOM". Which step of democracy creation is ignoring the requests of the Iraqi government and its people? You have obviously failed over and over in Iraq and now somebody comes along not only with a plan to end the war, but a plan that the Iraqi people actually agree with, and you decide to undermine it just to make your buddy McCain look good. Please man-up, admit you are evil, stop trying to trick us, and step down. Thanks!
  • screamingjoker, on 07/21/2008, -1/+10remember this maxim: Nations don't have friends, Nations have interests, period.
  • DreadPirate, on 07/21/2008, -2/+10I see you're hell bent on demonstrating how much you've lost your mind and what an ***** you are, CRC. Great job! Keep up the good work!
  • nathanbutnet, on 07/21/2008, -9/+17Good reporting in the article. Now, and I am just spit balling here, but my guess is that 95% of Iraqis would prefer to have their country back now. In a related note 95% of Americans want their country back too.
  • inactive, on 07/21/2008, -2/+9So, Crybaby, how much have you sacrificed to stop this war? Have you done anything besides whine about it online?
  • Nosferotu, on 07/21/2008, -14/+19It makes my head hurt that Bush's administration is doing such a blatantly insulting cover-up job about everyone but the neo-cons wanting us to get the hell out of Iraq. All their rhetoric about allowing Iraq to step up to taking control of their own country seems to fall by the wayside when they ACTUALLY try to start doing their own governing. Bush doesn't REALLY want to get out of Iraq, nor do they actually want the Iraqi's thinking for themselves - they want an American outpost, but it sounds like the Iraqi's aren't having it.

    And thank god. Really, there was no other politically viable way for the war to end in a reasonable manner than Iraq finally just telling us to get out. It's been truly disturbing to see how many times in the past few years Maliki has tried to stand up against the Bush regime, and has been smacked down for it.

    American interests are only the #1 priority IN AMERICA, people. In Iraq, the Iraqi's get to make the decisions.
  • diggduggDOOM, on 07/21/2008, -0/+5sealbeater: I believe every ballot has a spot for a write-in candidate, but that does not mean a write-in vote is valid. There are rules for becoming a qualified write-in candidate. Be careful. That write-in vote could be an actual 'throw-away' vote when compared to the (conceptual) 'throw-away' vote for a third party.

    I'm not trying to discourage anyone from writing in a candidate, just make sure you know whether or not anybody is going to even notice.
  • bawitback, on 07/21/2008, -4/+8McCain will end up winning since they have already split up the presidential race having ronpaul/hillary supporters vote third party (Barr, ect) thus resulting in a lower turnout for Obama.
  • inactive, on 07/21/2008, -9/+13The McCain trolls have arrived to rate down any and all anti-Bush comments.
  • nick1971, on 07/21/2008, -6/+10Does any one in the US really believe that the US will get out so Iraq so soon? The original goals were regime change and through this the liberation from the tirany of a dictator. The original motivation was the distruction of al-Qaida training camps.
    Now that the US is there you will need to stay until a complete stabilisation of the government.takes place. If you look at the bloody history of Yugoslavia then you can presume that the number of al-Qt oaida training camps would increase under a scenario of wirhdrawl of troops before the point of stabilisation .
    The next government would need to be willing to turn arround and say "Sorry this war was completely wrong, now we have decided this we are going to get the hell out of there no matter what happens. I have no idea what this means for internal security but its better to be in the situation at home than to believe that we can loose people abroad and somehow thats better"
    I do not believe that anyone in US politics current or future would have the guts to make such a call.
  • nick1971, on 07/21/2008, -0/+4If the translation is really so bad then why can't the original text be provided?
  • publiclurker, on 07/22/2008, -0/+4both literally and figuratively.
  • inactive, on 07/21/2008, -9/+12I can not wait for this thug to get out of office. These last 8 years have been torturous.
  • nathanbutnet, on 07/22/2008, -0/+3To answer your first question: no, but I do think your logic fails a bit later on in your writing in that I don't think this is an either/or black/white proposition. Hear me out on this one:

    The next administration may in fact take a tact of rebuilding our relationships with the UN, allies, and even enemies instead of just rattling sabers at everyone and take a more nuanced tactic of involving other global citizens in the success of Iraq.

    Despite what BushCo cronies have been trying to beat into us over the past eight years our world is much more gray as opposed to black and white and my hope is that Obama brings us back to this sensible middle ground where we belong.
  • publiclurker, on 07/22/2008, -0/+3He probably doesn't want his family involved in an accidental air strike.
  • jhbarr, on 07/21/2008, -8/+11Please explain how McCain or Obama could be worse than the current presidency?
  • ileen4justice, on 07/22/2008, -0/+3Some of these puppets just won't dance when the strings are pulled.
  • mmmmmbiscuits, on 07/21/2008, -4/+6If not babelfish, definitely babble.
  • overridemymind, on 07/21/2008, -3/+5Wow. What are your facts supporting your statement about Obama? I'm just curious. It's kind of hard to determine how he'll lead when he's not even been elected. I mean, on the one hand, you've had a man (and his cronies) commit war crimes, attempt to subvert the US constitution (USA Patriot Act, anyone?), degrade the economy while giving corporate entities more power, all the while pissing off the world at large. On the other hand, you've got a standard, run of the mill politician -- untried in a presidential position.
  • krnldmp, on 07/21/2008, -11/+13There's only one thing that can make an arrangement like that work. Crime.
  • ZenMojo, on 07/21/2008, -11/+13Iraqi People: "Get the ***** out!"

    Democrats: Maybe we should leave?"

    Republicans: "We can't step down until they stand up!"

    Iraqi Government: "Okay, we're standing. Get the ***** out."

    Republicans: "You're standing now, but what happens when we leave? You can't look out for yourselves."

    Iraqi Government: "Yes, we can. Get the ***** out."

    Democrats: "Uh... We need timetables because, um, yeah! Because if you keep telling them we'll support them no matter what they'll never ask us to leave...yeah, that's the ticket."

    Iraqi Government: "...What...? Whatever gets you the...*****...out is fine by us."

    Republicans: "And then the terrorists will strike! You should thank us for making it okay for the Iraqis to ask us to leave! And as a reward, let us stay forever. Because we can't leave until violence is down and once violence is down we can stay forever."

    Iraqi Government: "What the ***** is wrong with you people!?!?"
  • BotchaMcCoola, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2Is this $3 billion a week continuing damage to US prosperity your idea of success? Perhaps you should move there. We don’t need or want your kind. PS – you had better not start sending Iraqi refugees here. You love them, you live with them over there.
  • publiclurker, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2If decency frightens you that much, why don't you just crawl down your mouse hole and let the men get on with their work.
  • inactive, on 07/21/2008, -5/+6Yup the truth is Democrats don't give a ***** about Iraq. Actually they have never particularly liked Malaki. The fact is Democrats have said time and again,"Iraq be damned, lets leave." Whatever timetable this Malaki person finds reasonable matters little. The Democrats are douchebags. They would have left Iraq a disaster with little thought. How fortunate for them that the REPUBLICAN surge worked so now they can pretend to be good people as well as cowards.
  • kaynee, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1I like that! How do I join the Proud To Be an American Who's Not Proud To Be An American club?
  • inactive, on 07/21/2008, -0/+1omg how dare people not walk lock step with group think!
  • jamesfaction, on 07/25/2008, -0/+1what is it in your mind that makes you say "thinktarded?" Is there some problem you have with thinkprogress.org? Please be specific.
  • charm803, on 07/21/2008, -4/+5How is it that you can look at Bush and say Obama will be the worse president in history?

    Bush has big shoes to fill!
  • grneye53, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1"Promises made" Irag will rule it's self ,checks in the mail and I promise not to cum in your mouth.Have I left any out? OH Yeah ! your going to have to kick in for gas !
  • Jo9100, on 07/21/2008, -8/+9January 20, 2009...
  • rearlgrant, on 07/23/2008, -0/+1I have no idea why you got dugg down to -8 for that.. +1
  • Ne007, on 07/21/2008, -11/+12Bush and the U.S. military have been stumbling all over themselves with mistakes. If Bush or any military official says something it usually is wrong about 99.9% of the time, either on purpose or not. I'm going to include McCain in there too.
  • inactive, on 07/21/2008, -12/+13I'm thrilled that Iraq has a government that can actually stand up for its self.... But what is Bush going to do with all those unfinished military bases?
  • pwnerofnoobs, on 07/21/2008, -7/+8Is that ***** bable fish? I can' understand any of that.
  • jamesfaction, on 07/25/2008, -0/+1How does this matter to the US? They went into Iraq without UN permission, what makes you think they would pay any attention to any UN Resolution now?
  • DukeMojo, on 07/21/2008, -11/+12BIG surprise.
  • jamesfaction, on 07/25/2008, -0/+1Fool. He endorsed the plan, not the candidate.
  • inactive, on 07/21/2008, -7/+8What the next President of the US (who ever it is) wants could be irrelevant.
    From U.S. News & World Report, July 7/14 2008, Commentary by Fouad Ajami: "As it now stands, the American occupation now rests on a United Nations mandate under Chapter 7 of its charter that sanctions Iraq as a threat to peace and abridges its sovereignty. That mandate expires by the end of the year, and the Bush administration is keen to give the American presence the status of a bilateral security agreement. In the American scheme, this would be done by the end of July, but the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has its own rhythm and challenges."

    Without a bilateral agreement or a new UN Resolution the Iraqis could tell us to "get to hell out" at the end of this year and as a law abiding nation we would be obliged to do just that posthaste.
  • zaptoman, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1And we are defining decency as...what now?
  • charm803, on 07/21/2008, -7/+7Either way, whoever is the new president is in a tough position.

    Iraq's violence is thanks to the US!

    If we were so concerned about the country and Saddam, we would also invade ZImbabwe and get Mugabe out of his spot.

    But unfortunately for them, they don't have oil, so Bush doesn't care.

    All he has done is written a strongly worded letter to Mugabe.

    But the war and all the violence is our fault.

    So don't blame Obama.

    It's your president. No one can be that dumb.
  • dracostimpy, on 07/21/2008, -3/+3You're one of those sickos who preferred Jack Nicholson, aren't you? Go screw off on reddit with your fellow meatheads, you Heath-hating dirtbag! I'd like to see you try to depict the deeply ingrained torment of his Joker versus the cheesy standup routine that was Nicholson's Joker. Your whole family are losers.
  • inactive, on 07/21/2008, -8/+8This translation process seems to be all screwy. hell the qoute came from a german newspaper. But of course when Obama is being praised who the ***** cares where it comes from or if it is fact? Let us not forget that Obama's attitude shared by most of you liberal douchebags was 16 months and Iraq be damned. Of course was he going to fullfill this anyway if things weren't stable in Iraq? doubt it. In any case Malaki clearly states he does not endorse Obama. Further I notice the liberal media shouting this news from the rooftops but I wonder do they know what this really means? The surge worked. And who is to thank for that? Not Obama. Not the Democratic party. Eventually this supposed Malaki quote will settle into what it truly is. A victory for the Republicans who all along have said we will leave when its stable. If Obama will also leave when the country is stable now how is his plan different? It is not. For now I will go buy a cake with the words "surge" on it. Time for this Republican to celebrate.
  • charm803, on 07/21/2008, -6/+6I don't know why you are getting dugg down.

    If America was invaded by another country, we'd want them out, too. Iraqis have every right to want their country back.

    And you're right, as an American, so do I!
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