Secret US memo 'expresses doubt over Maliki's abilities'

[milmor_1]

Secret US memo 'expresses doubt over Maliki's abilities'

16:54 Wednesday November 29th 2006

A secret memo by President George Bush's national security adviser expresses doubt over Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's ability to control the bloody sectarian violence in his country, according to a US report.
The White House has tried to avoid publicly criticising Mr Maliki, who is meeting George Bush in Jordan today, or saying they will push him on doing more to stop the bloodshed.

But the document written by Stephen Hadley after a one-to-one meeting with the Iraqi leader, obtained by the New York Times, was more frank.

"His intentions seem good when he talks with Americans, and sensitive reporting suggests he is trying to stand up to the Shia hierarchy and force positive change,'' the memo said.

"But the reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action.''

It also noted that Mr Maliki relies on leaders of more extreme Shiite groups for some of his political support.

And it suggested that if he failed to carry out a series of specified steps, it might be necessary to press him to reconfigure his parliamentary bloc.

Such a step could be supported by the US providing "monetary support to moderate groups'' and sending extra American troops to Baghdad to make up for a suggested current shortage of Iraqi forces.

"We returned from Iraq convinced we need to determine if Prime Minister Maliki is both willing and able to rise above the sectarian agendas being promoted by others,'' the memo continued.

"Do we and Prime Minister Maliki share the same vision for Iraq? If so, is he able to curb those who seek Shia hegemony or the reassertion of Sunni power?

"The answers to these questions are key in determining whether we have the right strategy in Iraq.''

There was no suggestion that the Bush administration was interested in replacing Mr Maliki as prime minister.

Describing the meeting last month with Mr Maliki, Mr Hadley wrote:

"Maliki reiterated a vision of Shia, Sunni and Kurdish partnership, and in my one-on-one meeting with him, he impressed me as a leader who wanted to be strong but was having difficulty figuring out how to do so.''

The White House did not dispute the accuracy of the material quoted from the memo

"The president has confidence in Prime Minister Maliki, and also the administration is working with the prime minister to improve his capabilities,'' press secretary Tony Snow told reporters.

He added: "Prime Minister Maliki also has been very aggressive in recent weeks in taking on some of the key challenges.''


Secret US memo 'expresses doubt over Maliki's abilities'