Senator Levin Calls On Iraqi Parliament To Boot Maliki

[jefferson_dem]

Senator Levin Calls On Iraqi Parliament To Boot Maliki
By Eric Kleefeld | bio

As we reported earlier today, Senators John Warner and Carl Levin just returned from Iraq, issuing a statement today saying that while the surge is producing "measurable results" the two Senators are "not optimistic" about the likelihood of political reconciliation in Iraq.

This afternoon Levin held a conference call with reporters, and he went even further, making news by calling on the Iraqi parliament to boot Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Levin — lest anyone mistake him for a "war critic supporting the surge" — also said that the only way to spur the Iraqis to action is by drawing down troop levels. More from his interview after the jump.

Levin was very harsh towards the Maliki government, calling it "non-functional" and saying it has failed to use the time he's been given by the surge to forge important important political agreements.

"Even those who support the surge would be the first to acknowledge that the purpose of the surge was to give those leaders that opportunity," Levin said. "They have not grasped that opportunity, they have frittered it away."

Although Levin said he would not presume to dictate to the Iraqis how to run their own government, he did take the extraordinary step of saying what he hopes the Iraqis will do about the problem: "So I hope that the Iraqi Assembly, when it reconvenes in a few weeks, will vote the Maliki government out of office, and will have the wisdom to replace it with a less sectarian and a more unifying prime minister and government."

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http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/aug/20/senator_levin_calls_on_iraqi_parliament_to_boot_maliki

[acmavm]

1. He's right, Maliki needs to go. But I'm more curious as to what are these

'measurable' results? The car bombs have moved out of Baghdad and are killing Kurds now? We have fewer casualties because we're doing our killing from the air again?

[kenny blankenship]

2. Here's what I want to know from YOU, Carl Levin..

What are YOU going to do if the Shia dominated Parliament doesn't replace Maliki?
What are you going to do if his replacement is worse or no better?

Do any of your statements of disappointment and concern have any sincerity or reality to them or are you just blowing smoke out of your ass to shield the ongoing disaster in Iraq?

Does the NeoCon experiment in revolutionizing Iraq and the Muslim Middle East get an infinite number of last chances from you? "Oh this is the last chance!" I've heard that now more times than I can remember.

The ostensible purpose and justification for the "surge" was to gain some time for the elected government and parties to come together; you're right to point that out and right again to point out that it has not happened. Why in the world, though, would a sensible person believe you at this point when you imply that there's a good chance of that reconciliation occurring?

How many more Americans have to die before you pull your head out of your ass and acknowledge that there is no political reconciliation between the Sunni and Shia parties going on now, and no reason to think that reconciliation is about to suddenly begin?

Don't fucking tell me how very disappointed you are or what Iraqis should do to gain your approval. TELL ME THAT YOUR DISAPPOINTMENT HAS ACTUAL CONSEQUENCES. Don't try to tell me about your good intentions, that is no substitute for action. Or else - if there are no consequences - THEN YOU ARE AS BIG A LIAR AS BUSH IS and you're going to have to explain to me why you think America's kids should go over to Iraq, pushed over there BY YOUR IDLE HANDS, and die and die and die and die in Iraq for TEN MORE YEARS, fifteen more years, twenty years...

[MADem]

3. But Maliki is engaged to Ahmadinejad!!! nt

[PDJane]

4. Isn't regime change why the US went there in the first place?

And the petrochemicals law is why you're staying there; wisely, the oil unions are up in arms (they see their jobs going awol along with the money) and the government is being recaltricent.

Well, hell. It's their oil and it's their land.

I'm waiting to see if the US is wise enough to divest itself of empire before it's a truly fascist state. I'm not sanguine.

[Golden Raisin]

5. Maliki?!? Boot Bush the hell out.