Administration tries to do damage control after Maliki supports Obama's Iraq plan, but the cat will not get back in the bag.

On the eve of Senator Barack Obama's visit to Iraq, its prime minister tried to step back Sunday from comments in an interview in which he appeared to support Obama's plan for troop withdrawal.

The interview with the prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, was published Saturday in the online version of Der Spiegel, a German magazine. It was widely picked up by American newspapers because it appeared to give an unexpected boost to Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, who has called for an expedited withdrawal.

Diplomats from the United States Embassy in Baghdad spoke to Maliki's advisers on Saturday, said an American official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss what he called diplomatic communications. After that, the government's spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, issued a statement casting doubt on the magazine's rendering of the interview.

The statement, which was distributed to media organizations by the American military early on Sunday, said Maliki's words had been "misunderstood and mistranslated," but it failed to cite specifics.

"Unfortunately, Der Spiegel was not accurate," Dabbagh said Sunday by telephone. "I have the recording of the voice of Maliki. We even listened to the translation."

But the interpreter for the interview works for Maliki's office, not the magazine. And in an audio recording of Maliki's interview that Der Spiegel provided to The New York Times, Maliki seemed to state a clear affinity for 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 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."

This has served as a HUGE embarrassment for the Bush administration but the facts are that Maliki DID make the statement and the Iraqis DO want us out as soon as possible, and no matter how hard the administration spins they cannot make that untrue.

Iraq Prime Minister endorses Obama plan for troop withdrawal.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told a German magazine he supported prospective U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's proposal that U.S. troops should leave Iraq within 16 months.

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."

How many times has McCain visited Iraq?

Did Maliki ever endorse one of his plans?

No, I did not think so.

It is obvious that these countries that have been treated so poorly by the Bush administration are viewing Barack Obama as an intelligent person who will understand and alleviate their suffering.

And of course they are correct.

American experiment in Iraqi democracy is a total failure.

Everybody in Iraq – politicians, political analysts, poets, scientists, porters – seems to agree that the US-backed Iraqi government headed by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is a total failure.

Security, basic services, and all measurable levels of Iraq's infrastructure are worse now than under the rule of Saddam Hussein. Nevertheless, the US, Britain and Iran all continue to support this government.

"Politicians in this country are the best at serving their personal interests, and that is what has kept Maliki in power," Amjad Hussein, an Iraqi journalist in Baghdad told IPS. "Wherever I go in Iraq, people complain of the very bad living conditions caused by the wrong policies of this government. Even those who voted for the (Shi'ite) Iraqi coalition bite their fingers in regret for the support they gave to this group of people who have led the country into darkness."

Withdrawals from the government by individual ministers and by political groups was the first sign of the end of al-Maliki's political life, but the US government has remained insistent on keeping Maliki at the top of Iraq's leadership.

"I strongly believe that it was American pressure on the al-Tawafuq Sunni group that stopped them from withdrawal from the government," a senior member of al-Tawafuq told IPS on condition of anonymity. "I preferred to clear my conscience and so I have decided to end my political activities. I am looking for a way to take my family across the border for their safety. It is a sin to be a politician in Iraq nowadays."

Everything about this process was flawed. I hate it when I see intelligent military experts, or politicians talking about how their were mistakes made in how the plans were carried out. Not enough troops in the beginning, not protecting the weapons caches, disbanding the military, etc..

But what they fail to recognize, at least publicly, is that the whole thing was destined to fail no matter how they approached it. The idea that you can invade a nation, depose its leader, and then implement an unfamiliar government, is fucking idiotic.

How could we not know that we would be seen and conquerors and occupiers? And who wants to embrace their enemies political structure? Nobody that's who!

Was Iraq better, and safer, under Saddam Hussein? Hell yes! Is America safer with Saddam dead? Hell no! Has our government learned anything from this failure? Abso-fucking not! And we never will if we keep trying to find some part of the operation to blame instead of realizing that the operation itself was flawed from the very first planning stages. And then holding the planners accountable.

Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki would like us to get General Petraeus the hell out of his country!

Relations between the top United States general in Iraq and Nouri al-Maliki, the country's prime minister, are so bad that the Iraqi leader made a direct appeal for his removal to President George W Bush.

Although the call was rejected, aides to both men admit that Mr Maliki and Gen David Petraeus engage in frequent stand-up shouting matches, differing particularly over the US general's moves to arm Sunni tribesmen to fight al-Qa'eda.

One Iraqi source said Mr Maliki used a video conference with Mr Bush to call for the general's signature strategy to be scrapped. "He told Bush that if Petraeus continues, he would arm Shia militias," said the official. "Bush told Maliki to calm down."

At another meeting with Gen Petraeus, Mr Maliki said: "I can't deal with you any more. I will ask for someone else to replace you."

We all know that the fix is in and that the "report" from General Petraeus will reflect what the Bush administration wants it to reflect, but I have to wonder how they can paint any kind of positive scenario with this kind of information coming out of Iraq everyday?

Are they crossing their fingers in the hope that we just don't watch any news that does not come from FOX News? Because really who else could possibly be fooled?

This administration has absolutely no confidence in the intellectual ability of the American people. Well let's prove them wrong shall we?

This Washington Post article explains why the Iraqi government is failing so miserably. They are taking advice from George Bush. They are doomed!

Once every two weeks, sometimes more often, President Bush gathers with the vice president and the national security adviser in the newly refurbished White House Situation Room and peers, electronically, into the eyes of the man to whom his legacy is so inextricably linked: Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq.

Sometimes, said an official who has sat in on the meetings, they talk about their faith in God.

“They talk about the challenges they face being leaders,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private conversations. “They, of course, also share a faith in God.”

The official declined to elaborate on the extent of their religious discussions, but said, “It is an issue that comes up between two men who are believers in difficult times, who are being challenged.”

So Bush is encouraging Maliki to lean on his belief in God to help make the complicated decisions involved in running a government rather then to seek intelligent counsel from an experienced cabinet member, because we all know how well that has worked for Bush's Presidency.

The Iraqi government never stood a chance!