CentCom Gen. Abizaid put on his best Sunday-go-to-meeting camo fatigues to meet with Iraqi PM Maliki, sit in comical chairs, and discuss... things.
What things? There are two versions. The Iraqi government says the meeting was about how to counter Iranian and Syrian interference in Iraq and to “reaffirm” Bush’s commitment to success in Iraq, something which has to be done every few days because the Iraqis are just that needy and clingy and it doesn’t count if he reaffirms his commitment because they ask, oh no, it has to be “spontaneous,” and could it hurt to bring home some flowers or some nice chocolates every so often, and I see the way you look at that slut Afghanistan and...
Anyway, that was the official story. But other Iraqis leaked that it was for Abizaid to warn Maliki to disband Shiite militias, and ask him for a firm... wait for it... timetable for Iraqi security forces to take control of the country and proof that they’ll be able to handle it. That version of the talks sounds very stern and scoldy.
There is no official American line about what was discussed, which in the context of these Rashomonic competing unreliable narrators, suggests a willingness to have it be thought that Abizaid dressed Maliki down.
What on earth is Ed Meese doing on the Iraq Study Group?
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