Democracy? Bush informs Iraqi prime minister to step aside

[dajoki]

NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/international/middleeast/28cnd-iraq.html?ex=1144213200&en=d6785729829aad5b&ei=5009&partner=MSN_NYTHOME

Shiites Say U.S. Is Pressuring Iraqi Leader to Step Aside

By EDWARD WONG
Published: March 28, 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 28 — Senior Shiite politicians said today that the American ambassador has told Shiite officials to inform the Iraqi prime minister that President Bush does not want him to remain the country's leader in the next government.

It is the first time the Americans have directly intervened in the furious debate over the country's top job, the politicians said, and it is inflaming tensions between the Americans and some Shiite leaders.

The ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, told the head of the main Shiite political bloc at a meeting last Saturday to pass a "personal message from President Bush" on to the prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who the Shiites insist should stay in his post for four more years, said Redha Jowad Taki, a Shiite politician and member of Parliament who was at the meeting.

Ambassador Khalilzad said that President Bush "doesn't want, doesn't support, doesn't accept" Mr. Jaafari to be the next prime minister, according to Mr. Taki, a senior aide to Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, the head of the Shiite bloc. It was the first "clear and direct message" from the Americans on the issue of the candidate for prime minister, Mr. Taki said.

[madeline_con]

1. Jaafari should tell DUH-bya to go F#CK himslef. eom

[dajoki]

2. TWO TIMES!!

[vademocrat]

3. Doesn't he have a purple finger?

Was it just a dream I had that we were all supposed to hail Caesar for bringing democracy - and purple fingers - to the poor, oppressed people of Iraq?

Does this mean someone can tell Bushit to step down?

[Booster]

4. Oh, let me, let me.

[dajoki]

6. now you're talkin' n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

13. Hmmm...."purple finger"...I sense a photo op here...

:evilgrin:

[Supersedeas]

16. Democracy at the point of a gun is hard werk.

[dajoki]

18. yeah...

especially when we're not wanted.

[MadMaddie]

5. * is clueless isn't he...after all of the damage inflicted on Iraq

* cabal has lost control and power over the Iraq government that they tried to carefully build to do their bidding......oh dear it looks like the shit is going to hit the fan....and our soldiers are caught in the middle....

[madrchsod]

7. the iraqi bloggers have been on this story

for the last few weeks. i posted several links on my sunday night iraqi blogger links that were wondering just who was running the government-now they know.

[fed-up]

8. So Bush's TRILLION $$ experiment in nation building failed???

[azurnoir]

9. So now

just who are we fighting and who are we fighting for? It's starting to sound the insurgency is the Iraqi government, so is * going to "liberate" Iraq again?:sarcasm:

[dajoki]

11. so is * going to "liberate" Iraq again?

not that far-fetched. who the hell knows what's going on over there?

[ncteechur]

10. Let me be the first to offer our esteemed leader to move to Bagdad and

become the president of Iraq. I think he would fit in nicely. They can turn the billions they are spending on the new US embassy and the new military bases complete with car dealerships and burger kings into a new presidential palace for him.

I'm quite sure the US will manage without him at the helm.

[dajoki]

12. a nice dream n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

14. Maybe Jaafari could appeal to the SCOIraq! That would send an interesting

message!

[oasis]

15. It's time for Bush to force another regime change. How about both

leaders stepping down? Chimpy, you go first.

[dajoki]

17. yes, * first n/t