Gates Lies About Maliki And Sadr

Defense Secretary Bob Gates, heaping praise on Nouri al-Maliki, said:

“What is intriguing is that, because of the way the prime minister has taken on the Jaysh al-Mahdi and special groups in Basra and some of these other gangs, the rest of the Iraqi government that has not exactly been known for its unity has, in fact, unified behind Prime Minister Maliki,” Gates said. “He has gotten the vocal support of virtually all elements of the government, and partly because they see him acting against a sectarian group that they were concerned he wouldn’t act against.”

This is 180 degrees opposite the truth. In reality, Sunni, Kurdish and Shiite parliamentarians are lining up with Sadr against Maliki's crackdown in Sadr City. Indeed, from the Washington Post today:

A delegation of leaders from the Sadrist movement is scheduled to meet with Maliki in coming days to try to negotiate an end to the violence, but both sides have indicated they are far from a settlement. Maliki is demanding that Sadr disband the militia, a step seen as unlikely.

Bob Gates: stop lying.

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