Behind Maliki's "time to set your departure schedule" statement:
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/dreyfuss/334991
Don't think for a minute that Maliki, or his Shiite allies, want the US forces to leave. But they are under a lot of pressure. First of all, they are under pressure from Iran, whose regime remains the chief ally of the ruling alliance of Shiites, including Maliki's Dawa party and the powerful Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), led by Abdel Aziz al-Hakim. Iran's goal is to neutralize Iraq as a possible threat to Iran, and Iran's leaders are pressuring Maliki and Hakim to loosen their reliance on the United States. Interestingly, Maliki reportedly told President Bush personally, in a video teleconference on Friday, that the United States cannot use Iraqi territory to attack Iran, and he added that "fomenting tension in the region and pushing for military action against Tehran could wreak havoc on the entire region, including Iraq."
Maliki is also under pressure from a broad coalition of Iraqi nationalists, from angry, disenfranchised Sunnis to Muqtada al-Sadr's movement....
Despite US bungling, it seems increasingly likely that Iran and Saudi Arabia are working behind the scenes to negotiate a Shiite-Sunni accord in Iraq, but both Tehran and Riyadh will want it conditioned on a US withdrawal.
― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 9 July 2008 15:37 (seventeen years ago)
http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Wikileaks
http://wikileaks.org/w/images/thumb/500px-Us-detainee-wired-2004-08-06.jpg
Photo of a detainee held by the United States, with his face wired, lips sewn, red eyes and torso sacked. According to digital camera metadata the image was taken on Feb 9, 2003 03:49:25. The 6 Aug 2004 is also mentioned in relation to this photo. The facial wiring is clearly non-medical. The location of the detainee is unknown, possibly the US Bagram Theater Internment Facility in Afghanistan.
― James Mitchell, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 17:03 (seventeen years ago)
The image was taken before the invasion?
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 22:27 (seventeen years ago)
War in Afghanistan began in 2001.
...and this is the Iraq thread.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 22:38 (seventeen years ago)
my wife has forbidden me from posting pictures of her cousin doing security detail for Obama :(
― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 22:41 (seventeen years ago)
cuz if he talks his lips get sewn?
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 22:41 (seventeen years ago)