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Skriven 2006-10-26 23:31:14 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0610263) for Thu, 2006 Oct 26
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Setting the Record Straight: Mainstream Media Reports Inaccurate; Distort
Prime Minister Maliki's Press Conference
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For Immediate Release
October 26, 2006

Setting the Record Straight: Mainstream Media Reports Inaccurate; Distort
Prime Minister Maliki's Press Conference


ÿÿÿÿÿ Setting the Record Straight

Reports Draw Incorrect Conclusions By Taking Prime Minister Maliki's
Remarks Out Of Context
  þ Many Media Reports Wrongly Claim That Prime Minister Maliki Disagreed
    With President Bush On Key Issues, Including Timetables, In His Press
    Conference Yesterday. One media outlet reported that a "defiant
    al-Maliki ... slammed the top U.S. military and diplomatic
    representatives in Iraq for saying his government needed to set a
    timetable to curb violence in the country."

Prime Minister Maliki Was Asked Whether He Agreed With Setting An 18-Month
Timeline For The Withdrawal Of Coalition Forces
  þ In Yesterday's Press Conference, Prime Minister Maliki Was Asked
    Whether The United States Had Set A "Timetable For The Withdrawal Of
    Foreign Forces From Iraq Within 18 Months." ("Iraqi PM Says No Deadline
    For US Pullout, Rejects Militias At News Conference," BBC Monitoring
    International Reports, 10/26/06)

Prime Minister Maliki Was Clarifying That The U.S. Government Is NOT
Pursuing A Timeline For Withdrawing Forces
  þ Prime Minister Maliki's Full Response Shows He Was Saying That
    Discussion Of A Timeline For Withdrawing U.S. Forces Is Driven By
    American Politics And Is Not Bush Administration Policy. MALIKI: "The
    U.S. government has the right to reconsider its policy as deemed fit
    for its interests although I am confident that what is said is not said
    by the official state quarters. Yesterday you all heard the State
    Department spokesman or the U.S. president's statement in which he
    denied such logic, the logic of a deadline or a period of time. I also
    stress that all know that this government is based on the people's
    national will. None has the right to set timetables for it. But the
    others have the right to make decisions that are in harmony with their
    interests. ... I am confident that this logic is not the official logic
    of the U.S. government but one of the results of the current electoral
    competition and this does not concern us much. Second, I am confident
    that this issue is subject to the will of the government and the people
    who elected it." ("Iraqi PM Says No Deadline For US Pullout, Rejects
    Militias At News Conference," BBC Monitoring International Reports,
    10/26/06)

News Reports Are Taking Prime Minister Maliki's Comments Out Of Context
  þ Prime Minister Maliki Was Not Discussing Proposed Benchmarks For
    Resolving Political Issues, Which Ambassador Khalilzad Discussed On
    Monday, And Which Iraqi Leaders Have Already Developed And Agreed To
    Support. KHALILZAD: "President Talabani has made these commitments
    public. The United States and its coalition partners will support Prime
    Minister Maliki and others in their effort to meet these benchmarks."
    (Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, Press Conference, Baghdad, Iraq,
    10/24/06)
  þ Prime Minister Maliki Followed His Comment That "None Has The Right To
    Set Timetables" By Saying That "Others Have The Right To Make Decisions
    That Are In Harmony With Their Interests." ("Iraqi PM Says No Deadline
    For US Pullout, Rejects Militias At News Conference," BBC Monitoring
    International Reports, 10/26/06)
  þ In His Own Press Conference Yesterday, President Bush Agreed With
    Maliki's Comment That Benchmarks Cannot Be Imposed On Iraq By An
    Outside Force. THE PRESIDENT: "And if [Maliki's] point is, is that
    those benchmarks, or the way forward can't be imposed upon Iraq by an
    outside force, he's right. This is a sovereign government." (President
    Bush, Press Conference, 10/26/06)

Prime Minister Maliki And President Bush Agree On Sadr City Raid And
Pursuing Illegal Militias

Reuters Reports That Prime Minister Maliki Said "The Raid Had His Backing."
"Maliki said the raid had his backing but argued that it was conducted in a
heavy handed way that could wreck a political deal he had worked on with
Moqtada al-Sadr, a radical anti-American cleric who controls the Mehdi Army
Shi'ite militia. Maliki had appeared to disavow the raid at a news
conference on Wednesday, saying he had not been consulted, but he told
Reuters his problem was with an operation in the same area which was part
of the hunt for a kidnapped American soldier." (Paul Holmes and Mariam
Karouny, "Exclusive: Maliki Says Iraqi Death Squad Leader Escapes U.S.
Raid," Reuters, 10/26/06)

Prime Minister Maliki: "I Clearly Said We Instructed Our Security And
Military Services To Act Against Any Illegal Or Illegitimate Display Of
Arms." "The security measures I talked about provide the necessary ground
for the adoption of the method of confronting rebellion and encroachment on
state prestige by force. Therefore, I clearly said we instructed our
security and military services to act against any illegal or illegitimate
display of arms." ("Iraqi PM Says No Deadline For US Pullout, Rejects
Militias At News Conference," BBC Monitoring International Reports,
10/26/06)

Prime Minister Maliki And President Bush Agree On Coordination
  þ Prime Minister Maliki: "Coordination Is A Demand On Which The Joint
    Political Process Between Us And The Multinational Forces Should Be
    Based." "As for what happened in Al-Sadr City, we will ask for a
    clarification of what happened. We will review this issue with the
    multinational forces so that it will not be repeated. ... The
    government should be aware of and part of any military operation.
    Coordination is a demand on which the joint political process between
    us and the multinational forces should be based." ("Iraqi PM Says No
    Deadline For US Pullout, Rejects Militias At News Conference," BBC
    Monitoring International Reports, 10/26/06)
  þ President Bush: "The Idea That We Need To Coordinate With Him ... Makes
    Sense To Me." "And there's a lot of operations taking place, which
    means that sometimes communications may not be as good as they should
    be. And we'll continue to work very closely with the government to make
    sure that the communications are solid." (President Bush, Press
    Conference, 10/26/06)

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