Maliki is bucking for a bruise.

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Ned
Oerdin, in case you missed the point, Bush did not cancel the meeting, his subordinate did. That is mutiny.

Is "prime minister of iraq" a cabinet position now? Or is it even lower on the totem pole, e.g., an undersecretariat position in the state department?

[Elok]

I think it's lower than that, even: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/punk

[Ned]

Well Maliki either has the measure of Bush or he is a fool. To treat the person who is feeding you, providing you security and is protecting your very life like a dog requires either a lot of courage or a lot of stupidity.

However, if that person is a weakling, well not so much courage is required.

Either way, if I were Bush, I'd give Maliki a LOT of payback.

BTW, I just saw on CNN an interview with an "exiled" shiek/Sunnit Imam who apparently is a major leader of the "resistance." When asked who would provide security if US troops left, he said that elements of the Iraqi Army are willing to return to duty.

Of course, they also comprise the resistance.

[Cyclotron]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
We need to recognize what an ally is, is the problem.
Clearly, this is not an ally.

You're so right. We need to recognize that allies are no more than subsurvient lapdogs willing to commit political suicide to preserve American prestige. Allies, after all, don't criticize, ever - they shut the hell up do what they're told.

[Ned]

Cyclotron, it all depends on the relationship between allies, does it not? When Churchill desperately needed Roosevelt's help during WWII, I sincerely doubt he would have canceled a meeting for which Roosevelt was already in route.

[Ned]

As far as I'm concerned, Maliki can go to hell. Perhaps Bush can arrange to have Maliki's helicopter land in downtown Falujah, for example, without a security detail.

[loinburger]

Because insulting the President is clearly worthy of a (de facto) death sentence.

And if Churchill could have garnered support from the British by insulting Roosevelt, without running the risk of having a "we will not cut and run" president withdrawing support, then yeah, he might've considered insulting Roosevelt.

[Ned]

Originally posted by loinburger
Because insulting the President is clearly worthy of a (de facto) death sentence.

And if Churchill could have garnered support from the British by insulting Roosevelt, without running the risk of having a "we will not cut and run" president withdrawing support, then yeah, he might've considered insulting Roosevelt.

Precisely my point about Bush and Maliki here. Maliki must think that Bush is a weakling or has no choice but to back him.

I only wish Bush had some balls. Like I said, I can hardly imagine either Bill or Hillary Clinton letting Maliki get away with this.

[Bosh]

I'm sure that the festering cluster**** that is Bush's Iraq policy will result in plenty of punishment for whatever Maliki's sins may be without Bush lifting a finger.

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Ned
I only wish Bush had some balls.

But what exactly do you want him to do with said balls? Kill the prime minister of Iraq? That just strikes me as a bit excessive. "Me big man Bush, me kill Iraqi prime minister for pissing on my birthday cake!"

[Ned]

Originally posted by loinburger

But what exactly do you want him to do with said balls? Kill the prime minister of Iraq? That just strikes me as a bit excessive. "Me big man Bush, me kill Iraqi prime minister for pissing on my birthday cake!"

In the first place, I think Bush should not have attended the meeting the next day with Maliki but should have returned to Washington immediately when the first day's meeting was canceled.

Thereafter, Bush should have ignored Maliki until he made a public apology for his actions.

[Elok]

Originally posted by Ned
In the first place, I think Bush should not have attended the meeting the next day with Maliki but should have returned to Washington immediately when the first day's meeting was canceled.

Thereafter, Bush should have ignored Maliki until he made a public apology for his actions.

"If you don't know what you've done wrong, then I'm not going to tell you" is ballsy now? I don't get it.

[Arcite]

Originally posted by Ned


In the first place, I think Bush should not have attended the meeting the next day with Maliki but should have returned to Washington immediately when the first day's meeting was canceled.

Thereafter, Bush should have ignored Maliki until he made a public apology for his actions.

Ok I'm sorry but if Bush did that he would look even more foolish. What can Bush possibliy threaten Maliki with? The US will withdraw from Iraq? That would never happen. Maliki can just make a deal with Iran.... which would be the US worst nightmare. Iraq is turning more into a lose/lose situation for the US day by day.

The US has destoryed Iraq and killed hundreds of thousands of people, I don't think Maliki needs to show the occupying forces any respect what so ever. It's a democracy after all isn't it?

[Cyclotron]

Originally posted by Ned
Cyclotron, it all depends on the relationship between allies, does it not? When Churchill desperately needed Roosevelt's help during WWII, I sincerely doubt he would have canceled a meeting for which Roosevelt was already in route.

Of course, but nobody would have called "mutiny" or suggested that Churchill should be parachuted into Berlin. Roosevelt would have penned a cutting remark in his personal diary and that would have been it.

The situation here is also quite different. Officials in his own government threatened to leave if the meeting even happened. You may just want him to "grow a pair," but Maliki is the leader of IRAQ. His job is a 24-hour ****storm, with the constant threat of horrible death looming over him. Put yourself in his position: you have a group of people in the government who want you to cut the meeting short. You can either ignore them, which could profoundly damage what little stability the current government has by telling a powerful constituency to f*ck off, and which could ruin your public image by making you look like an American puppet... or, you could tell Bush the meeting was off and hurt the guy's pride a little.

I think the choice is pretty clear. If you wanted what's best for Iraq, I think you'd make the same one. Who cares about American pride? The man is trying to end a brutal civil war. We should be giving him all the latitude he wants, not throwing a hissy fit when he snubs Bush.

[Ned]

Well, Bush did as you guys suggest, turn the other cheek. But, I think there will still be repercussions.