[NYTr] al Maliki Wants Bush to Recall General Petraeus

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

The Telegraph (UK) - Jul 28, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2aj52x

Iraqi leader tells Bush: Get Gen Petraeus out

By Damien McElroy
Foreign Affairs Correspondent

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."
advertisement

Gen Petraeus admitted that the relationship was stormy, saying: "We have 
not pulled punches with each other."

President Bush's support for Mr Maliki is deeply controversial within 
the US government because of the Iraqi's ties to Shia militias 
responsible for some of the worst sectarian violence.

The New York Times claimed yesterday that Saudi Arabia was refusing to 
work with Mr Maliki and has presented "evidence" that he was an Iranian 
intelligence agent to US officials. "Bush administration officials are 
voicing increasing anger at what they say has been Saudi Arabia's 
counterproductive role in the war," it reported.

Alongside the firm support of Mr Bush, Mr Maliki also enjoys the backing 
of Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador and his predecessor, Zalmay 
Khalilzad, now America's representative at the United Nations.

Mr Khalilzad took a swipe at Saudi Arabia in an editorial published 
earlier this month that was widely seen as an appeal for a larger UN 
role in stabilising Iraq.

Mr Crocker, who attends Mr Maliki's stormy weekly meetings with Gen 
Petraeus, said the Iraqi leader was a strong partner of America.

"There is no leader in the world that is under more pressure than Nouri 
al-Maliki, without question," he said. "Sometimes he reflects that 
frustration. I don't blame him. I probably would too."

Original Full URL:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=IGAHG33FIYEL1QFIQMGSFFOAVCBQWIV0?xml=/news/2007/07/28/wirq128.xml