Posted on 07/19/2008 3:18:09 PM PDT by MaestroLC
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki supports US presidential candidate Barack Obama's plan to withdraw US troops from Iraq within 16 months. When asked in and interview with SPIEGEL when he thinks US troops should leave Iraq, Maliki responded "as soon as possible, as far as we are concerned." He then continued: "US 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."
Maliki was careful to back away from outright support for Obama. "Of course, this is by no means an election endorsement. Who they choose as their president is the Americans' business," he said. But then, apparently referring to Republican candidate John McCain's more open-ended Iraq policy, Maliki said: "Those who operate on the premise of short time periods in Iraq today are being more realistic. Artificially prolonging the tenure of US troops in Iraq would cause problems."
(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...
Muslim brothers.
so does drudge? :p
What’s up with this?
Anyone want to bet Iraq’s President doesn’t have the balls to say that to an American newspaper or George W. Bush?
SPIEGEL: Would you hazard a prediction as to when most of the US troops will finally leave Iraq?And here it is after Spiegel has rewritten it to read as follows.
Maliki: As soon as possible, as far as we’re concerned. US presidential candidate Barack Obama is right when he talks about 16 months. Assuming that positive developments continue, this is about the same time period that corresponds to our wishes.
SPIEGEL: Would you hazard a prediction as to when most of the US troops will finally leave Iraq?Big difference.
Maliki: As soon as possible, as far as we’re concerned. 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.
Does Maliki speak German? Something may have been lost in the translation.
Obama Campaign Welcomes Maliki Support for Timetable
Maybe the Iranians have decided bribes work better than bombs.
< \vomiting>
Maliki may see himself as Iraq’s new dictator for life. That would be easier without GI’s getting in the way.
Maliki is the President of a country. Nothing gets lost in translation unless somebody wants it to get lost in translation. You think these people would interview some head of state and not know how to translate what they are saying? Fat chance.
IOW, Iraq wants to us leave a presence like we have in SK, Japan, Europe? If so, hey, that's fine with me.
***White House sends press corps al-Maliki praise for Obama plan***
Another triumph for George Bush.
And 30 years of a commie Supreme Court. Nice, ya...that’s the ticket.
Read post #14.
One good thing coming from all this talk about withdrawal, no one is talking about how the US lost. As long as the talk is about how the military can leave based on success then no one can take the victory away from the US.
lol
Something stinks here??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Foolish man.
Actually, Maliki is talking about victory.
I’m wondering if this statement will be somewhat revised over the next 24 hours. Team Obama and his poodles in the media will make it seem that Obama really is the Messiah due to this revelation.
I think Maliki is playing to his home audience because we are in the final stages of negotiating the SOFA. I would bet the SOFA will NOT have a definitive withdrawal date.
Furthermore, I’m surprised that both McCain and Bush have been silent on this. We will writhdraw upon success, “they stand up, we stand down” as has been the policy of the President since day one, or shortly thereafter.
I would have thought the WH would have issued some kind of statement by now on this. Oh well.
I won’t be able to watch a lick of news for the next week as I won’t be able to stomach the obamaisms that will be coming from the media.
In my experience, the best attitude toward the mainstream media is to mistrust and verify.
While I know the MSM is in the tank for Obama one good thing will come out of all this talk, the libs will be in a box after all is said and done because of their previous declarations of defeat.
Obama makes no conditions on a with drawl - 16 months no matter what.
Al-Maliki said, "...if positive developments continue"
gosh, that does it!
the germans have bonded with al obama and the iraqis like his plan,
let’s vote al obama!
/s
You’ve got to be kidding. Maliki just endorsed Obama.
No, he just agreed that 16 months sounds about right for us to leave. That is what Maliki has been saying. Haven’t you guys been paying attention?
Bush has been saying all along, “As the Iraqi’s stand up, we will stand down.” It is coming to pass and who grabs credit? Obama, of course, the 143 day wonder.
If Al Qaeda resurges after we leave or during our drawdown, will Obama take blame too?
Somehow, I doubt it.
I cannot read his remarks in any light but that of a non-endorsement endorsement. They’re that bad.
I thought hussien decided against this withdrawal plan on July 4th??? he’s back on it now???
Maliki through his own willfully worded comments has indeed heaped praise on Obama and his candidacy, and his opposition to a potential future President (McCain). What an ass.
"What matters most to us is that we develop resilient political relationships and work together economically. Our security forces are steadily improving, partly as a result of German efforts. We will be pleased to turn to the Germans to equip our police and military; and should there be new training programs with the German Bundeswehr, we will be happy to accept their help. However, we would clearly prefer that the training take place in Iraq in the future. Overall, I believe that we are gradually becoming self-sufficient."
You're welcome, Al Maliki. How many Germans gave their lives for your freedom?
Wow. That’s quite a re-write.
I do hope we will be largely out in 16 months. We should be able to pull more troops out before the election. I think seeing a good number of troops showing up in October with large victory parades will be a boost to McCain.
Screw Maliki. I’ve thought for a while we should’ve never went to Iraq. This just confirms it. The liberals called it a war for an oil can. It would be if we got any oil from them. Or ANYTHING at all.
At least if they're stateside their votes will actually get counted.
Remember, Obama’s plan was that all of our troops would be out last March, and Iraq would be overrun by Iran and their henchmen.
Barack has moved his deadline every month. Eventually, he had to be “right”, because we weren’t going to have to keep fighting forever, and some day we’d be within 16 months of being gone.
Maliki is a man full of hubris. He actually believes he’s done all this. He’s done so little, and nothing that we haven’t allowed him to do. Our brave soldiers and Marines have done all the heavy lifting at great cost. The turd maliki can dry up and blow away for all I care.
Bingo.
Wow, no bias there. Germany... as in Oil for Food.
Too bad he didn’t squeeze the French in.
Give him a chance. One nation at a time is all he can kiss up to.
At some point, 16 months will be the right time to have most of our troops out of Iraq. Its just a matter of throwing around lots of dates around until someone hits the bogey.
Osama would second the motion.
Yep. And the news is from a German rag.
...a spokesman for al-Maliki said his remarks "were misunderstood, mistranslated and not conveyed accurately."
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