Iraqi Premier Denies U.S. Assertion He Agreed to Timelines

[habitual]

Maliki Also Criticizes Sadr City Raid

By John Ward Anderson
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, October 26, 2006; Page A15

BAGHDAD, Oct. 25 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki lashed out at the United States on Wednesday, saying his popularly elected government would not bend to U.S.-imposed benchmarks and timelines and criticizing a U.S.-Iraqi military operation in a Shiite slum in Baghdad that left at least five people dead and 20 wounded.

Maliki's comments came a day after U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the prime minister had agreed to timelines for accomplishing several critical goals, including developing plans to deal with militias, amend the constitution and equitably distribute Iraq's oil revenue.

"I affirm that this government represents the will of the people, and no one has the right to impose a timetable on it," Maliki said at a nationally televised news conference Wednesday. "The Americans have the right to review their policies, but we do not believe in a timetable."

With less than two weeks to go before critical midterm elections in the United States, Maliki accused U.S. officials of election-year grandstanding, saying that deadlines were not logical and were "the result of elections taking place right now that do not involve us."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/25/AR2006102501138.html

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This directly shows that * has lied. This can be HUGE!

Edit: forgot link

[Freedom_from_Chains]

1. Every day this just gets more and more insane. LOL

[NanceGreggs]

2. Well, well, well ...

... apparently 'democracy' is a lot more 'untidy' than previously predicted.

[JeffR]

3. You go to war with the puppet government you have

Not the puppet government you want. Eh, Mr. Rumsfeld?:rofl:

[krkaufman]

9. Oh, that is just perfect. Ha! Thanks. n/t

[Eugene]

4. Al-Sadr had a word with him.

Nouri al-Maliki just will not stand up to people with guns
whether they are from the coalition or the Mehdi Army.
He has changes his tune whenever somebody leans on him.
He has taken at least five positions in the past two weeks.

Al-Maliki owes his job to the Shi'ite militias. He is no
hurry to disband them. Iraq is doomed if the Bushies
are counting on him to save it.

[rodeodance]

5. Maliki has to be seen by his country people as NOT being a puppet

to the US.

[struggle4progress]

6. Defiant Iraqi PM disavows timetable

Copyright © 2006 AP Online
Last updated Wednesday, October 25th, 2006
By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, Associated Press Writer

http://nandotimes.nandomedia.com.nyud.net:8090/ips_rich_content/918-rubble.jpg

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - An angry Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki disavowed a joint U.S.-Iraqi raid in the capital's Sadr City slum Wednesday ...

Al-Maliki complained that he was not consulted beforehand about the Sadr City offensive. The raid was conducted by Iraqi special forces backed by U.S. advisers and was aimed at capturing a top militia commander wanted for running a Shiite death squad.

"We will ask for clarification to what has happened," al-Maliki said. "We will review this issue with the Multinational Forces so that it will not be repeated." ...

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/24hour/world/story/3402193p-12505066c.html

[truthisfreedom]

7. scary when the puppet moves with no hand inside...

scary to bushco.

[krkaufman]

8. Well, he hasn't agreed to any timelines.

According to Bush, they're only setting "benchmarks."