Maliki Claims He Was Misinterpreted After White House Objects To What He Said
Iraq Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, in an interview with Der Spiegel, agreed with Barack Obama’s plan for US troops to get out of Iraq. But the White House objected, and now Maliki is backing off his comments.
Scott M. Stanzel, a White House spokesman with President Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Tex., said that embassy officials explained to the Iraqis how the interview in Der Spiegel was being interpreted, given that it came just a day after the two governments announced an agreement over American troops.
“The Iraqis were not aware and wanted to correct it,” he said.
Translation: The White House was pissed off that the government they helped install is backing the Democratic candidate for president of the United States, and let them know that in no uncertain terms.
A spokesman for the Iraqi government is saying that Der Speigel got it wrong, claiming Maliki’s words were “misunderstood” and “mistranslated”. The problem is, translator was Maliki’s, not one from the magazine.
…in an audio recording of Mr. Maliki’s interview that Der Spiegel provided to The New York Times, Mr. Maliki seemed to state a clear affinity for Mr. Obama’s position, bringing it up on his own in an answer to a general question on troop presence.
The following is a direct translation from the Arabic of Mr. Maliki’s comments by The Times: “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.”
He continued: “Who wants to exit in a quicker way has a better assessment of the situation in Iraq.”
And Maliki’s top political advisor, Sadiq al-Rikabi, continues to echo the sentiments expressed in the magazine interview.
“Foreign soldiers in the middle of the most populated areas are not without their side effects,” he said. “Shouldn’t we look to an end for this unhealthy situation?”
The Iraqis need to obey their American warlords! We didn’t set up this government for the Iraqis to give us their opinion, we did it for these no-bid contracts for their oil. Iraqis wanting us out. Not until Lord Dubya says…
July 21st, 2008 at 3:57 pm
McCain has a new ad blaming Obama for the gas prices. How is that possible. How, exactly, is it Obama’s fault? Does he think voters are that ungodly stupid?
July 21st, 2008 at 4:10 pm
John McCain said today he thinks the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border is serious -
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/21/mccain-owns-first-foreign_n_114013.html
July 21st, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Republican brown nose Alan Colmes at it again. Going to raise this point tonight, Alan?
Doubt it. The producers at Fox are the ones who control the agenda of the show. Make sure to sit there like a good puppet and kiss the asses of all the Republicans who come on your show tonight, Alan.
You make Roger Ailes proud.
July 21st, 2008 at 4:35 pm
“Translation: The White House was pissed off that the government they helped install is backing the Democratic candidate for president of the United States…”
I initially laughed at that.
But now I’m just irritated. If we want Iraq to be a self-sufficient democracy, then why should we care whether they back the Republican or Democratic nominee? Why should Maliki even care what Bush thinks anymore? He’s on his way out, Congress is currently run by Democrats… I don’t know, maybe he’s playing it safe.
This is just more B.S. (i.e., Bush Spin) from the White House.
July 21st, 2008 at 4:59 pm
16 months may be more or less the right amount of time to get combat troops out of Iraq at the rate things are going and Maliki is probably in a better position than any of us (Bush, McCain and Obama included) to know. The devil is in the details, that “more or less.’ Is Obama flexible enough that if there’s a small flare up of violence in one province at 15 months we can leave enough troops to deal with it for another year?
Frankly the whole 16 month thing is a little odd to start with. It took less than 4 weeks to get in. The military’s trucks can go 45 mph. With some covering fire from the Navy and Air Force, a real retreat should take less than a week maybe as little as a couple of days. What is Obama’s real thinking?
July 21st, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Do you really think Iraq after 14 months can defend itself against the turkish or iranian air force ? We will need to be there for many years to come, the area is to volitile.
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:28 am
“now Maliki is backing off his comments.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did he get a horses head in his bed?
July 22nd, 2008 at 6:55 am
LMAO, Old Lefty. Although they have horses in the Middle East, a camel would have been much more accessible. Therefore, it was a CAMEL head that he found in his bed.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I stand corrected, Cheryl Carroll.
I always felt that the Bush administration reminded me of the Sopranos, but without a Tony.
Bush/Cheney are more like AJ Soprano and Pauli Walnuts!
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Its too bad that Maliki isnt available for comment to clear it up. If only someone could ask him to clarify? then whatever was assumed to have been said could be resolved.
While I dont watch the big 3 loser networks’ news coverage because all they are is democrat propaganda disguised as a news show; the thing they probably did was say Irak agrees on the Hussein Obama timetable for surrender, I mean withdrawl.
When the real thing he said turns out to be different? it wont be covered by the big 3 loser networks.
Remember in March 2003? When President Bush ordered the invasion? he said he would go on the airwaves to address Americans so they can hear his reasons why. But the networks blacked out his speech to the nation. The next day headlines said: Bush, why wont you tell the American people why you rushed into war?
Lie, cheat and steal. Anything! the liberal left will do anything (except be honest) to get Hussein Obama and his muslim friends appointed to office.
Why do liberals hate America so much?
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:20 am
Bradley: Did you hear that Obama’s emmissary to the Jewish community, Florida Representative to Congress Wexler’s Florida residential address is really that of his mother-in-law’s , and at an old persons residentials Wexler really lives in Maryland with his three teenage children.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:39 am
Vince P,
Read the comments by FuRyUs. He may be Muslim. I can almost smell the camel stench, oops! maybe it’s his feet.
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Tom Hanna,
Sure Obama’s flexible Tom. Muslims hate all that Democracy stands for. Barack is aware of this and will ignore attempts by Muslims to overthrow the Iraqi government when the troops leave. It’s all a matter of time, numbnuts.
July 24th, 2008 at 11:16 am