Maliki Essentially Endorses Obama's Iraq Plan
By Nicole Belle Friday Jul 18, 2008 4:00pm
Not much to say here. Other than the fact that this is a huge huge huge deal. Article speaks for itself.
In an interview with Der Spiegel released on Saturday, Maliki said he wanted U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq as soon as possible.
"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"[..]
And
"The Americans have found it difficult to agree on a concrete timetable for the exit because it seems like an admission of defeat to them. But it isn't," Maliki told Der Spiegel.
Is there anything left to say?
Jake Tapper reports that the White House "accidentally" emailed the article to its extensive distro list.
The misfire comes at an odd time for Bush foreign policy, at a time when Obama's campaign alleges the president is moving closer toward Obama's recommendations about international relations -- sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, discussing a "general time horizon" for U.S. troop withdrawal and launching talks with Iran.
Obama's campaign issued this statement (from an email):
There are two problems with John McCain's political attacks on Barack Obama's foreign policy. First, on the biggest foreign policy questions of the last eight years, Barack Obama has made the right judgment and John McCain has sided with George Bush in making the wrong one. Second, the failure of the McCain-Bush foreign policy has forced John McCain to change his position, and to embrace the very same Obama approaches that he once attacked.
Just this week, Senator McCain has been forced by events to switch to Barack Obama's position on two fundamental issues: more troops in Afghanistan, and more diplomacy with Iran. On both issues, Obama took stands that weren't politically popular at the time - opposing the war in Iraq as a diversion from the critical mission in Afghanistan, and standing up for direct diplomacy with Iran - while John McCain lined up with George Bush. Time has proven Obama's judgment right and McCain wrong.
The next shift appears to be Iraq. For months, Senator McCain has called any plan to redeploy our troops from Iraq "surrender" - even though we'd be leaving Iraq to a sovereign Iraqi government. Now, the Bush Administration is embracing the negotiation of troop withdrawals with the Iraqi government - a position that Senator Obama called for last September, and reiterated on Monday in the New York Times. And now, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki supports Barack Obama's timeline, telling Der Speigel that, "Barack Obama is right when he talks about 16 months."
Ooh, that's gotta leave a mark when you make your campaign all about your foreign policy expertise.
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Darn those foreign leaders for agreeing with that young whippersnapper
moveon.org do your thing..........
Even though over the past two weeks, Obama has essentially owned the Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan issues since the entire world is taking his position including the Bush administration, I still HATE how Iraq is at least playing out.
We went in there because of WMDs. No WMDs were found.
Then things got so crazy and went so bad, that somehow, McCain and the Republicans want to declare victory and progress on our ability to correct our own mistakes ignoring the fact that the purpose of the war can NEVER be fulfilled. Iraq will not be a American friendly government because they are allies of Iran before anyone else. If we rebuild their country and rebuild their military, we may have to fight it again in another 10 years if we were to ever have a military conflict with Iran.
This WHOLE SITUATION has either bad or worse options. We need energy independence and disconnect from the Middle East because we won't win taking anyone's side. We sure in the hell can't declare victory for making the worst possible situation just very bad.
Alan@1, LOL! What's McCain going to say now? If McCain does win in November, I'm afraid I will have to move out of the U.S. I can't believe American's would be stupid enough to vote for him. But I feel so defeated. I guess Bush's White House does that to people.
Patty D. @ 4:
I'm moving to the moon, and I'm not even American.
maliki put the brakes on mccains bravado
this is going to be a big part of obama's message
the (R) especially NEOCONS shxt themselves when
maliki said requested a timetable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFknKVjuyNk
I love it...Obama isn't even in Iraq yet...so I guess this would be like a Preemptive Endorsement...no?
Stick a fork in Grandpa. His campaign just ended.
Maliki even noticing Obama just makes Georgie-Boy an even bigger lame duck. It also makes McSame look like an even bigger idiot. Note to McSame, Obama and Maliki have come to share the same vision for Iraq before Obama ever arrived in Iraq, so actually going there isn't such a big deal. Besides, if you're like McSame and you are going to ignore the wishes of the leadership of Iraq then why go there; you could just ignore them from home, right?
The GOP brand is sinking fast folks, singing fast.
Why does Maliki hate our troops? He hates them almost as much as our troops do.
Mister Anderson @ 3:
Just as there was no credible reason for this war & occupation, short of a direct attack upon the United States there will NEVER be a reason for us to fight another war in Iraq. No "terrerist following us home" could ever justify a resumption of hostilities because no Iraqi government would be so stupid as to give support to such action, and an attempted rational of "not drawing any distinction between terrorists & the states that 'harbor' them", is base collective punishment, itself a war crime.
The United States, by any moral standard, owes the Iraqi people the rebuilding of their country; I don't believe that should extend to any military aid as that sort of exported violence should be wholly discontinued
I wonder if Obama will enter Iraq in secret (like our pResident does) or with the red carpet treatment (like the Iranian President does)?
Yeah,
elect Obama.
Things will change.
Corporations will no longer have a say.
Right wing talking point: Maliki endorsed Obama's plan because they're both muslims!
VietVet8666 @ 13:
can we settle for less of a "say"...?
Awwwww.
What are the Republicans going to do now? The dream of making Iraq a permanent oil colony is disappearing, not to mention McCain's chances of winning.
Too bad, he had worked so hard to avoid the issue of the economy and make this election about Iraq, given his flight suit based credentials.
Kind of hard to argue about staying in Iraq until "victory" now isn't Johhny?
Barry's people should be able to club Krusty into the dirt with this. Even the MSM won't be able to pick up the pieces, much as they would like to .
Remember back when bu$h and the White House said, "they had never said, 'stay the course'?" Then Jon Stewart showed bu$h saying it about 80 times, in his video montage.
By October, the GOP/bu$h/McSame will be claiming they've been for troop draw-downs in Iraq since day 1. They have always had an open-door policy with Iran, and the Democratic Congress keeps financing the war in Iraq, like they just wanna stay forever. Just watch. And the mindless will believe it.
paper thin "democratic congress" has had no choice but to
continue to finance the "war" otherwise the you don't
support the troops propaganda chant would have been at high pitch.
bush purposely provided few choices to block his mission
congress has tried to get an withdrawl strategy from this administration several times.........i think people forget
bush has had a mid-east strategy but also a strategy
to quell the u.s. legislative branch....executive privalege
signing statements and veto
Much of the world outside of Meathead Nation is reasonably convinced that an Obama administration is inevitable and they are wildly rooting for it, even EU conservatives like Merkel are increasingly accommodating to the Senator.
Obama is essentially a pragmatist rather than an ideologue and the ascension of witless neocon ideologues over the run of the Bush preziduncy has left us in the fix we're in.
The US presence in Iraq has mainly served to make the two sides of the Islamic schism to unite in order to get rid of us. This is pretty impressive but hardly on the neocon radar screen as their ignorance of the complexity of Islam has long been striking. And I don't imagine it was what they had in mind as this was really just a geopolitical oil grab all along. Even Greenspan admitted as much.
Obama's method is to find out rather than to assume, to listen rather than assert in situations involving the complexities of geopolitics. It is like a doctrine of ascertainment, identifying regions of ignorance in order to obtain knowledge and it was described by Peter Drucker decades ago as the core basis for negotiating complexity at all levels.
Obama is doing a Drucker on the international relations front while he is confidently pursuing an unprecedented outreach to all potential constituents on the domestic front.
This is such a refreshing change after 8 years of malevolent morons cocksure that their contraption ideologies would hold water. And the rest of the world is by and large wildly excited about it.
Obama is really applying the principles of Thomas Jefferson in regard to international conflict, find out why there is conflict and negotiate.
While I have, from day one, endorsed and supported Obama's(and Dems) troop withdrawal plans from Iraq, I would not say that Maliki's comments are of great
significance. "Why" you may ask. Well, Maliki is basically a weak PM and probably
made such statments to show off his "power"(which is zilch). I feel that he is
just doing his best to show his support for Obama since Obama is about to visit
his country. Will probably do similiar(supporting McCain's position) if/when he
visits Iraq. Maliki should keep his nose out of America politics and instead see if
he has the balls to unite the Sunni's/Shiites/Kurds and establish a stable government
and a military who is devoted to the interests(PEACE) for all citizens of Iraq.
How much you want to bet this is essentially ignored by the MSM?
It's going to be very interesting to see how the Maniac campaign spins this and how the major media sop it all up. I'm guessing some will have to break ranks with the old coot but seing how many engage in all sorts of contortions to limit the damage will be interesting...
A possible campaign song for McSame, to the tune of 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall:
A hundred years of war in Iraq, a hundred years of war,
Unless victory comes and ends all the fun,
Then ninty-nine years of war in Iraq.
Can anyone think of a good 2nd verse? :)
back in april of this year fabius maximus did our googling fingers a break and put together a compilation of all the times the bush administration "talked" about "withdrawal" and "troop reduction," promising "any minute now!"
http://fabiusmaximus.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/withdraw/
doggiebobo @ 21:
Jason @ 22:
Not sure, but I just went to Yahoo News Reports and "nada", however, one of their
lead stores is about honeybee swarming motorist on the New Jersy Turnpike...what
next?
constituent @ 26:
So, McCain can say that Maliki is an extremist Shia and doesn't represent the Sunnis and the Kurds so we don't really have to listen to him. Or he can try to get BushCheney to muscle Maliki into recanting or 'clarifying.' Maybe he could say Maliki is just a politician and doesn't really understand the situation the way someone like, say, Petreaus does. Maybe he could trot out Chalabi to endorse his 100 year plan. Maybe he could just evade the issue and say he's 'studying' it. He could also put it off by saying it's damaging to our interests and the 'safety of the troops' to even discuss it and that he'll make a decision once in office.
None of these like particularly good or strong responses and could easily be shot down, so to speak. What are some other options he could employ?
Petraeus says that al-Quaida is re-organizing in Afghanistan. We go there then the go to Pakistan then they go back to Iraq. We are the chasing its tail dog in America's Most Funniest Video. If Obama whats to get us into that sh*t I'm would have voted for Ron Paul.
I'm waiting for McCain to do some "straight talking" and call Maliki "naive" and an "appeaser."
Good for young Senator Obama in showing all of the old rightwing warpigs how diplomacy works. This trip by Obama is a brilliant move. I think it will prove to be very interesting on many levels.
Of COURSE the guy likes Obama! You know why?? Because he's one of them, that's why! Them being...uhhhh....well....the ones we liberated from...uhhhhh...and part of the democratically elected...hmmmm...but....but....
Well, just LOOK at the guy!
Okay. But seriously. How ARE the Republicans going to turn this into an attack on Obama?
I had a very interesting conversation with a woman who has lived in this neck of the woods for many more years that me. Seems like "there are a lot of rednecks around here talking up Obama, saying he's more white than black".
I inquired as to whether that might be because of someone they knew possibly having children who married a black person. I was told that there are perhaps more instances of daughters having children by a black man but never got married. It is kind of hard to disown your own grandchild, and perhaps gives them a whole new perspective on what gives a person worth.
PK, I'm certain they'll figure out a way. They always do.
One wonders if Maliki, the head of Iraq's puppet government, is also in favor of Obama's proposal to leave close to 100,000 troops "over the horizon" even after Obama's phased [as opposed to immediate] withdrawal is finally complete. One suspects that the people of Iraq would not be in favor of that idea just as the people of the United States would not like it if foreign troops were stationed in either Mexico or Canada.
JinIll @ 29:
Another possibility: Maliki is not a American citizen, therefore is not entitled to vote
here, consequenlty, he should keep his opinions to himself and not try to influence or
persuade Americans as to what needs to be done in Iraq.
NOT very good or persuasive, but who knows what McShame/his campaign might come up with since they very seldom, if ever, tell the truth.
VietVet8666 @ 13:
heeee heee heeeeeeeee were screwed
doggiebobo @ 37:
Yah, those darned Iraqis don't have any right to interfere in our domestic politics now do they? Nice one.
JinIll @ 29:
"My friends.....Oops, where is that telepromter?"
Ruthless People @ 14:
WHAT AN IDIOT AND IGNORANT YOU ARE. WE ALL KNOW THAT OBAMA IS CHRISTIAN. YOU ARE ARE REALLY DUMB. YOU ARE A MOUTHPIECE OF THE REPUBLICAN.(FOX NEWS). I HOPE PEOPLE DON'T LISTEN TO YOU, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A LOW BIGOT.
So far, NO MENTION on World News Tonight...
Well, a quick blurb.
maria @ 41:
Ruthless People is just saying that's what the repubs will say...
maria @ 41:
Hey, cool it...Ruthless People was NOT endorsing that BS...was only informing us that
such will most likely be the talking points used by the neocons
HEY GUY`S JUST LAUGH IN THEIR FACES! THAT`S ALL I`VE BEEN DOING ALL DAY LIKE OLD GEORGE USE TO DO US! HEHEHE! LIKE I SAID THEY WANTED TOO STAY BECAUSE THE OIL DEALS DID`NT GO THROUGH NOW HE WANTS TO DRILL OVER HERE TO MAKE UP FOR THE MONEY BIG OIL LOST IN OPERATION IRAQI LIBERATION! YOU KNOW THE CODE WORD FOR OIL!
HA! I knew it! O'bama is in Iraq conferring with his terrorist masters before he comes back to the US to enslave the white race.
Wow, Maria! You might need to read comments a couple of times and take some time to reflect before commenting.
You lefties are crazy. Please move out of the country.
Earl @ 49:
Crazy? Why, because we can see how much this hurts McCain? Please explain.
Earl @ 49:
Many of us will, should McShame somehow manage to win in Nov.
You have to realize that this whole set of initiatives cuts McOld off at the knees. I saw some item either in Huffpo or MyDD about a leaked Repig e mail response to this new development...to whit..."We're fucked". As if they weren't already. The Lucy reality just grabbed the McOld/Charlie Brown football as he was winding up for the kick.
This will be a very entertaining summer. I don't know how familiar much of the commentariat here is with Clausewitz or Lidell Hart or 'The Art of War' but Obama has taken the initiative and run so far ahead with it that McOld will spend the rest of the cycle pitifully trying to catch up so he already lost.Obama is like Patton's 3rd Army in world war two,(look it up) or Marshall Zhukov.
The Corporate 'Old Media' is now the proverbial canary fart in a sawmill and they have disgraced themselves before most of the nation. They will be reflexively ridiculous because they are oblivious to their decline. It should be very entertaining and fun to watch them implode.
Imichael @ 30:
al-Qaeda in Iraq is the same as al-Qaeda in Afganistan and Pakistan. It was simply a really good name that would scare us, though I'm not sure if they started calling themselves that or if Cheney gave them the name.
al-Qaeda in Iraq won't move to Afghanistan and they won't follow us home.
The problem here is that both McSame and Obama discuss Afghanistan in terms of a "war on terror". The reality is that the US and its NATO partners are not in Afghanistan to fight the Taliban, al Qaeda, or to capture Osam bin Laden, they are there as a geopolitical force, enforcing the energy politics of the US, to ensure the building of the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline as a means of foiling Russia and China's energy policies
see (.pdf) A Pipeline Through A Troubled Land: Afghanistan, Canada, and the New Great Energy Game and what I wrote on this last week.
The war against terror in Afghanistan is a scam and it's time the US population is made aware of that.
swampfox @ 38:
Yes, YOU two seem very screwed.
God, I just love this. Maliki is screaming at us to GET THE FUCK OUT and McOld and Bush insist on staying. It's like having your old Uncle puke on the floor at a a family party. We've outworn our welcome, folks. Time to blow this establishment and LEAVE!
Earl @ 49:
Why should I? Who died and left the country to you right wing dickheads?
I'm a lefty, and I OWN a piece of this rock, and I'm about to reclaim it in November. Who's with me?
Earl @ 49:
And who will be left here to care-take you in the asylum?
You will never hear about this on CNN, MSN or Fox, unless they change it around and claim It was McCains idea from the start.
What and allow this brother who voted against their illegal war continue to make stone fools out of all of them.
It will never happen.
Some one please tell me why Obama is campaigning in Iraq? He's carrying on
like the Commander in Chief and he's not elected yet. Bush should really beat
him up on this one. As much as I hate Bush...Obama is so arrogant. A monster in
the making.
paul from miami is like those americans who whine about barack being "inexperienced" and "naive", but when he actually goes to the region to find out exactly the situation from the iraqi government and the commanders, he whines about barack being "arrogant."
paul is also like those americans who whine that nobody listens to america anymore bc america is "arrogant," but doesn't want a man who is immensely popular overseas to re-engage with the world.
paul from miami is like those americans who want to set the bar higher for obama while completely ignoring the fact that john mccain has made numerous mistakes on foreign policy despite being "the experienced" one.
paul should just say that he wants an idiot for president, u know, because that's been so good for the country the last 8 years.
hope american people can open the eyes and vote for Obama, is the only hope we have in the next 4 years to come.
All Maliki needs todo to get his wish is officially order the withdrawal of US troops from Iraqi soil, and request aid from the UN to expell us if we don't leave.
MSNBC reports that Malaki retracts and says that he was mistranslated and misunderstood, but der Spiegel says the Obama reference came from Malaki's side. Is that correct?
Paul, Miami Florida @ 60:
So McCain complains that Obama hasn't gone to Iraq and now Bush should beat him up for going?
Who knew those darn Shiites were libruls? :D
Repugs take note.
Left&Left @ 55:
sorry left and left , we all know why you want obummer as president but you wouldnt be so gung ho if it was clinton and we had a white candidate like say clinton! running for president!
Paul, Miami Florida @ 60:
Seems like you're trying to imply that George Dubya (Chimpy) Bush isn't a monster.
Like killing nearly ONE MILLION people doesn't make you a evil. Like fabricating the reasons for a war doesn't make you a liar.
I wonder... how many times has McCain been to Iraq? I don't hear you calling him a monster.
Didn't McCain say that Obama should go to Iraq to see what was happening there first hand?
You Republican trolls make me sick to my stomach. All you can do is lie and misinform. You're always so eager to say we should kill people to line your pockets. That's all you know how to do.
People like you are subhuman.
Paul, Miami Florida @ 60:
First, he's not campaining. He's going on the fact-finding mission you Republicans have been demanding he go on to get "experience".
Second, senators go to war zones for these reasons all of the time.
Third, he will most likely be president by January '09 and he will immediatley inherit the complex and difficult Iraq mess. He will need to make decisions quickly. Therefore, it's prudent to be ahead of the game by forging relationships with key players such as U.S. commanders and officials on the ground, as well as Iraqi politicians.
Get over it Repugs, you've had your time and you screwed everything up. Shut up and get out of the way so our next president can lead.
Earl @ 49:
Define "Lefty" you ignorant fascist ass.
I love my country and I'm smart enough to know how to take care of it. Are you?
Wouldn't you agree that their are going to be differences in what the President of Iraq and our U.S. President can say publicly on the matter of troop withdrawal, especially when it is Bush's stance to adhere to the advice of his commanders in the field, as well as the timing of such statements?
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