QUOTE
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."
It is the first time he has backed the withdrawal timetable put forward by Obama, who is visiting Afghanistan and us set to go to Iraq as part of a tour of Europe and the Middle East.
Obama has called for a shift away from a "single-minded" focus on Iraq and wants to pull out troops within 16 months, instead adding U.S. soldiers to Afghanistan.
Asked if he supported Obama's ideas more than those of John McCain, Republican presidential hopeful, Maliki said he did not want to recommend who people should vote for.
"Whoever is thinking about the shorter term is closer to reality. Artificially extending the stay of U.S. troops would cause problems."
"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."
It is the first time he has backed the withdrawal timetable put forward by Obama, who is visiting Afghanistan and us set to go to Iraq as part of a tour of Europe and the Middle East.
Obama has called for a shift away from a "single-minded" focus on Iraq and wants to pull out troops within 16 months, instead adding U.S. soldiers to Afghanistan.
Asked if he supported Obama's ideas more than those of John McCain, Republican presidential hopeful, Maliki said he did not want to recommend who people should vote for.
"Whoever is thinking about the shorter term is closer to reality. Artificially extending the stay of U.S. troops would cause problems."
*giggles*
Now, realistically, this is because there are elections coming up in Iraq, and the US occupation is incredibly unpopular. Maliki needs to show that he wants the US out if he's to have any hope of re-election.
However, for Bush and McCain to deny this would be to say that a)Iraqi sovereignty is secondary to US military interests and b)The US does not care whether there is such dislike of them within Iraq.
Although, I don't really expect there to be much pressure on the US election, as... you know... someone foreign said it...
Also, on foreign policy: To distract from Obama's visit to Afghanistan and his pledge to send more troops Mccain states:
1. The week before Obama goes to Afghanistan: Does not want to send troups
2. The morning of Obama's visit: Should send troops
3. Literally minutes after his speech: But they should be Nato.
4. Later that afternoon: They should probably be Nato and US....
Then Bush decides to send a senior diplomat to Iran to meet their top nuclear negotiator. Haven't heard about how McCain'll reply to "negotiating with the enemy who wants to destroy all of us in unpatriotic" this time
seriously, this stuff actually makes me laugh