White House irked by Iraq support for Obama plan

[sabra]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON — The White House expressed unhappiness Monday about Iraqi leaders' public backing for Barack Obama's troop withdrawal timetable. And it said that Baghdad may be trying to use the U.S. presidential election as leverage in talks about the future of American's military presence and obligations in the war.

...

"We don't think that talking about specific negotiating tactics or your negotiating position in the press is the best way to negotiate a deal," Perino said after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was quoted in a magazine article supporting the 16-month troop withdrawal timeline proposed by Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate. "However, we understand that they're a sovereign country and they'll be able to do that," Perino said. "We're just not going to do it on our end."

Al-Maliki's spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, initially appeared to try to discredit the magazine report but on Monday he expressed hopes that U.S. combat forces could be out of Iraq by 2010, the timeframe proposed by Obama. Buoyed by a sharp reduction in violence, Iraqi leaders have become more assertive about the country's sovereignty, giving rise to demands for a specific plan for American forces to leave.

Read more: http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,700244911,00.html

[Kber]

1. The Ingrates!

And after all Bush has done for them!

I guess that's the last time they invade THAT country, if that's the thanks they are going to get.

[Voice for Peace]

10. I'm concerned that McCain would invade all over again if elected, forgetting

that we've already been there, done that.

[southern_belle]

2. Bwahahahahaha

:rofl:

[MichiganVote]

3. But the 80+ percent of Americans who oppose this occupation don't rank so much as a sniffle.

[Indenturedebtor]

4. Here's the picture that should be in that article

[damntexdem]

5. How dare they put their own national interests, and reason, ahead of Bushista ideology?

Maybe we should invade them or something. ;-)

[no_hypocrisy]

6. "After ALL we've done for you . . . . "

Wretched ingrates.

[wtmusic]

7. Is that smoke coming from Stepford Dana's ears?

:scared:

[Beetwasher]

8. Iraq Better Watch Out Or We Might Invade And Occupy Them

n/t

[central scrutinizer]

9. "we're not going to do it on our end ... before October, that is"

nfm

[whistle]

11. Bush is the decider no matter how wrong and fucked up his decisions are!

:wtf:

[grytpype]

12. The Iraqis would rather negotiate with Obama than Bush, obviously...

... since Obama is willing to get us out of Iraq!

He also wasn't responsible for invading their country and killing thousands!

[paparush]

13. Iraq threatening to lower the Q3, Q4 War Margins

Halliburton slashes quarterly earnings predictions from 146% down to 142%. KBR to follow suite. This could spell DOOM for 2009 incentive bonus figures.

[DogPoundPup]

14. Iraq agrees conditionally with Obama on troop pullout, irking McCain and White House

Source: International Herald Tribune

WASHINGTON: Democrat Barack Obama won endorsement from Iraq's leadership during a Baghdad visit for his call to pull American combat forces out of Iraq in 2010, irking the White House and drawing heated criticism from Republican John McCain.

Obama's Iraq stop, including briefings and a helicopter ride above Baghdad with U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus and meetings with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other government leaders, forced the five-year-old war back to the top of the presidential campaign agenda.

McCain was battling to stay in the campaign spotlight as Obama's travels drew huge media attention at home and abroad. The four-term Arizona senator, appearing wrong-footed by the Iraq developments, hotly disagreed on troop withdrawals saying any pullout "must be based on conditions on the ground," not arbitrary timelines.

Iraq — the third destination on the foreign tour largely aimed at bolstering Obama's foreign policy credentials — followed a challenge from McCain, who complained that Obama was wrong to plan for troop withdrawals without having visited Iraq since January 2006. McCain has visited Iraq eight times since the war began and says Obama's foreign policy initiatives are naive and that he is untested.

The deep fissures between McCain and Obama were only deepened when Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabagh, emerged from the Obama-al-Maliki meeting to say: "We are hoping that in 2010 that combat troops will withdraw from Iraq," Obama repeatedly has said he wants to have those forces out of the country by the middle of that year.

Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/22/america/NA-POL-US-Elections.php

---

[jeff30997]

15. K&R

Take that, McNugget! :evilgrin:

[caledesi]

16. Our next president. He's already started. Woot! NT

[Ichingcarpenter]

17. "We Don't Think"

I stopped reading after that, because it explained the rest.

[Mind_your_head]

18. The NeoCons just can't accept that everyone disagrees with/hates them and their 'plan' eom

[IndianaGreen]

19. Didn't the White House say Iraq was a sovereign nation?

Didn't Bush and McCain say in the past that if asked to leave by Iraq, the US must leave? What's the problem then with what Maliki said?

[radfringe]

20. Iraqi backing of Obama plan irks White House

Source: MSNBC

Iraqi backing of Obama plan irks White House
Says Baghdad may be using U.S. election as leverage in negotiations
MSNBC Mon., July. 21, 2008

WASHINGTON - The White House expressed unhappiness Monday about Iraqi leaders' public backing for Barack Obama's troop withdrawal timetable. And it said that Baghdad may be trying to use the U.S. presidential election as leverage in talks about the future of American's military presence and obligations in the war.

Washington and Baghdad probably will miss a July 31 target for reaching an agreement, said White House press secretary Dana Perino, characterizing the negotiations as "hard-driving."

"We don't think that talking about specific negotiating tactics or your negotiating position in the press is the best way to negotiate a deal," Perino said after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was quoted in a magazine article supporting the 16-month troop withdrawal timeline proposed by Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate. "However, we understand that they're a sovereign country and they'll be able to do that," Perino said. "We're just not going to do it on our end."

Al-Maliki's spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, initially appeared to try to discredit the magazine report but on Monday he expressed hopes that U.S. combat forces could be out of Iraq by 2010, the timeframe proposed by Obama. Buoyed by a sharp reduction in violence, Iraqi leaders have become more assertive about the country's sovereignty, giving rise to demands for a specific plan for American forces to leave.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25786952/

[Bicoastal]

21. May I be the first...

to do the :nopity: thing.

[rontun]

22. Unhappy? The White House is unhappy?

I'm willing to bet their "unhappiness" doesn't begin to compare to the deep sorrow felt by the Iraqi people and by the families of the American soldiers whose lives have been sacrificed in Bush's folly.

They should be ashamed!

[flor de jasmim]

23. Being irked is SO long overdue... I passed irked in 2001.

[polichick]

25. Well said...

Guess Bush & friends won't be able to set up permanent bases from which to control Iraqi oil.

[truthisfreedom]

24. In his effort to define the new Iraqi government as "Democratic" bush failed in his personal mission

He simply doesn't realize he's a facist.

[tsuki]

26. Is the White House whining? nt

[liberal N proud]

27. Maliki's not playing nice with the bu$h regime

Poor lil' George, he thought he had Maliki's in his pocket. After all they did for him, you would think he would show more respect. LOL

Watch for him to have an accident in the coming weeks or months.

[TaffyMoon]

28. Be prepared to see Maliki disappear...

Bad puppet!

[Supersedeas]

29. "we understand that they're a sovereign country" -- do you Peppy Perino...do you really?

[rocktivity]

30. Candidate for this year's "You Call This NEWS?" Award

How sharper than a serpent's tooth is an ungrateful soverign nation. And after all Georgie did for them!

:eyes:
rocknation