Iraqi PM disputes report on withdrawal plan

(CNN) -- A German magazine quoted Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki as saying that he backed a proposal by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq within 16 months.

"U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months," he said in an interview with Der Spiegel that was released Saturday.

"That, we think, would be the right time frame for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes," he said.

But a spokesman for al-Maliki said his remarks "were misunderstood, mistranslated and not conveyed accurately."

Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the possibility of troop withdrawal was based on the continuance of security improvements, echoing statements that the White House made Friday after a meeting between al-Maliki and U.S. President Bush.

In the magazine interview, Al-Maliki said his remarks did not indicate that he was endorsing Obama over presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain.

I have no idea what the hell Maliki was ACTUALLY trying to say to Der Spiegel, but I can see the result plainly.

In the realm where John McCain holds sway, foreign and military, Maliki has JUST BEEN SEEN to have endorsed Barack Obama, gut McCain and Bush, and validate everything Obama has said about Iraq and Al Qaeda. Just look at Nancy Harridan Pelosi's IMMEDIATE MOVE...

Amanda Terkel with Think Progress is down in Austin live-blogging former Vice President Al Gore's address to the lefty blogosphere. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) introduced Gore and also took questions, one of which was about Maliki's declaration.

"So with the prime minister saying it's time for you to go," she told the crowd, "I think it's time for our country to sit down with the Iraqis and work that plan out. [We need to be] respectful of what the prime minister says, and respectful of the will of the American people, who have been against this war for a long time...[We should] have a high-level meeting with the Iraqis to work out the terms of our deployment out of Iraq...So, the end could be in sight."

I have wondered on these pages before about where Maliki sees the future, and who is the long term 'strong horse'. I have thought Maliki believes the future for them lies closer to Iran

I can't imagine that Maliki can be THAT stupid as to not imagine the result of his comments. It's my judgement he trying to affect his own future with this remark. John McCain will have to come out of character and reactly VERY STRONGLY to dent this disaster, but I can't see how this can be anything other than it is.

An unmitigated complete victory for Barack Obama.