Deteriorating Iraqi security to top Bush-Maliki talks ("hard steps")

[Barrett808]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House expressed disappointment at a security plan for Baghdad and said President George W. Bush will discuss the issue during a meeting here with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

A senior US administration official said the security plan will likely be changed.

"The initial results of that plan have been disappointing," the official told reporters ahead of Tuesday's White House meeting between the two leaders.

The official said Bush and Maliki may discuss new deployments of troops for the Iraqi capital composed of both US and local troops.

But the official said Bush would also press Maliki to take "hard steps" to rein in the Iraqi militia, arguing that safety would not improve until Iraqis ran security operations themselves.

"The tone of the overall meeting I expect (will be) one of partnership, but the president will be pushing Prime Minister Maliki to take the steps that he can take to address this situation," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"He can be sure of American support for taking these hard steps."

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060722/pl_afp/iraqusbushmaliki

[Freedom_from_Chains]

1. Did al-Maliki decide that now was a good time to get his ass out

of Iraq? It looks like things there are going to implode in the very near future.

[bemildred]

3. Wants to discuss his pension plan. nt

[Freedom_from_Chains]

4. The way things are going I wouldn't be banking on much of a

retirement, except of course maybe early retirement.

[bemildred]

6. Perhaps some lofty position near a lamp post or bridge. nt

[rodeodance]

2. says might be more troops going to Bagdad from other areas.

...The official said it was "very possible" the two sides would announce new security measures that involved deployment of more Iraqi and US troops to Baghdad from other regions of the country.

"During the last five weeks there has been a rise in violence in Baghdad and a rise in sectarian violence, and that's something they'll be talking quite a bit about," said the US official.

Bush saw Maliki in Baghdad during an unannounced June 13 trip after the Iraqi government filled two key security posts that the US administration hoped would lead to it eventually taking the lead on security in the war-torn country.

New measures announced at the time failed to halt a wave of sectarian bombings and kidnappings. The US official said top commanders were already holding discussions about a new approach with the Iraqi prime minister.

[Barrett808]

5. Operation Forward Together failed -- what's next? n/t

[still_one]

7. I would almost believe people are happy that it failed

[bemildred]

8. Not "happy it failed", "expected it to fail".

Bullshit does not win wars or build nations.

[still_one]

9. appropriate answer

[IndianaGreen]

10. Well, there is Operation Advance to the Rear

it will be followed by Operation Get Me Outta Here

[creeksneakers2]

11. If they are pulling the troops toward Baghdad

they must be writing off the rest of the country and planning a last stand.

[tabasco]

13. US forces will be used to secure the Green Zone and oil facilities.

That's it. The rest of Iraq is on their own.

The Bush corporate cabal doesn't care about the security of the Iraqi people, or democracy, or terror.

That is just the snake oil they sell to their gullible followers and other morons.

All the cabal cares about is corporate profits and big money for the rich republican contributors.

[acmavm]

12. One of the things I find interesting is that bush** only gets lip service

from the Poodle boy. Poodle doesn't get any say in these 'talks'. And whereas the US is going to dump more warm bodies into Iraq, I haven't read where Britain is going to contribuite anymore human sacrifices.

Or have I missed something? It's still a 'coalition', right? I mean, why aren't all these coalition partners contributing money and their people? Isn't this still the great international fight to rid the world of a tyrant and bring truth, justice, and the ???? way to the Iraqi people?