Iraq's Maliki Lashes Out At Hillary Clinton

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT/Reuters: Iraq's Maliki Lashes Out At Hillary Clinton
By REUTERS
Published: August 26, 2007

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki lashed out on Sunday at U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton who had called for him to be replaced and criticized the U.S. military for killing civilians.

"There are American officials who consider Iraq as if it were one of their villages, for example Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin," Maliki told a news conference.

"This is severe interference in our domestic affairs. Carl Levin and Hillary Clinton are from the Democratic Party and they must demonstrate democracy," he said. "I ask them to come to their senses and to talk in a respectful way about Iraq."

Clinton, a leading candidate to succeed George W. Bush as president, joined Levin, the head of the Senate's Armed Services Committee, in calling last week for Iraq's parliament to replace Maliki for failing to reconcile warring sects.

Maliki also criticized the U.S. military for killing civilians during raids in Shi'ite neighborhoods in Baghdad, which have provoked demonstrations by mourners and condemnation from Shi'ite groups.

"We have said this many times before. When you want to arrest someone it is not acceptable to go there and kill another 10 innocent people or destroy houses. These are violations."...

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-iraq.html

[trumad]

1. reconcile warring sects?

LOL---good luck on that.

[rodeodance]

2. A reporter was saying it is time to change the system of gov. NOT just re-arrange

the deck chairs. He was referring to the parlamentary form that they have now. says even if malake goes, they would prob. have a weak. gov.

[illinoisprogressive]

10. same goes for us as well. Time for new blood and not just rearranging

[ludwigb]

3. The Problem With Replacing Maliki

Is who takes over? Technically speaking, Allawi and his secular coalition were always closer to the kind of party we wanted to govern Iraq. But if the Shias are expelled from power now, that may be the last straw on the course to alienating the Shias and further hostility from Iran.

For my part, I would have a peace treaty with Iran (in exchange for a firm commitment to stop funding Hamas) and get the hell out of Iraq. I hope Hillary isn't in bed with the war party if they are scheming for a new government and a new warfront in Iran. Hopefully she's just genuinely tired of the violence and convinced Maliki isn't doing all he could....

In that case, however.... she should speak out against so-called measures of "political reconciliation", such as the Iraqi Oil Law.

[Bitwit1234]

4. Gee whiz I though he said Senator Levin & Hillary Cliton

why heap on Hillary only...AND THEY ARE CORRECT THIS GUY SHOULD GO NOW.

[acmavm]

5. Poor guy is starting to sound so desperate. Like he's holding on by his

fingertips. Even his boy george sounds like he's about to pick up his marbles quit playing.

What a spot to be in, huh?

[SOS]

6. Here we go again

February 2005:

"Hillary Clinton, as far as I know, does not represent any political decision or the American administration, and I don't know why she said this. She knows nothing about the Iraqi situation,"
That's former Iraqi PM Ibrahim Jaafari on Clinton's criticism of Jaafari two years ago.

The US engineered his removal in 2006 because of his "ties to Iran".

Iraq is 60% Shiite, 20% Sunni and 20% Kurd. In a democracy, the Shiite candidate will always win.
Do Clinton and Levin seriously think that they will get an Iraqi PM who is not friendly with Iran?

[ludwigb]

7. Maybe it's more useful to the war machine...

If they could find someone who wasn't.

Seriously, if Hillary is going to talk about internal Iraqi politics then she needs to speak with more authority. And if we are talking about replacing Maliki then the only legitimate way to do it is new elections. Even if rivals like Allawi could assemble a majority of parliament (doubtful), it's still a good precedent in a parliamentary system to hold an election when a change of power occurs.

[killbotfactory]

8. That guy has nearly an impossible job

I wouldn't want to be in his shoes.

[illinoisprogressive]

9. If he can see Hillary is playing political games why can't the democrats.

[Nimrod2005]

11. He probably is not familiar with it, he would have called her a: DINO!

[SOS]

12. In France, apology demanded and received for same comments

From the NYT, 8/28/07

"But his (Sarkozy) debut before his ambassadors was marred by a diplomatic imbroglio involving his foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, who was forced to apologize to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq for calling for his resignation.
Mr. Maliki had demanded the apology from Mr. Kouchner, who was quoted on Newsweek’s Web site as saying that the Iraqi government was “not functioning” and that he told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by phone, “He’s got to be replaced.”
Mr. Sarkozy made no mention of the diplomatic gaffe.
In a subsequent speech to the 180 visiting ambassadors, Mr. Kouchner veered from his prepared remarks to say he had apologized to Mr. Maliki on Monday morning."

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/world/europe/28france.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=world&pagewanted=print