BAGHDAD—Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ruled out the presence of any U.S. troops in Iraq after the end of 2011, saying his new government and the country's security forces were capable of confronting any remaining threats to Iraq's security, sovereignty and unity.


In his first media interview since the Iraqi Parliament confirmed his new cabinet in December, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki sat down for an exclusive conversation with The Wall Street Journal's Sam Dagher. Here are some excerpts.
Mr. Maliki spoke with The Wall Street Journal in a two-hour interview, his first since Iraq ended nine months of stalemate and seated a new government after an inconclusive election, allowing Mr. Maliki to begin a second term as premier.

A majority of Iraqis—and some Iraqi and U.S. officials—have assumed the U.S. troop presence would eventually be extended, especially after the long government limbo. But Mr. Maliki was eager to draw a line in his most definitive remarks on the subject. "The last American soldier will leave Iraq" as agreed, he said, speaking at his office in a leafy section of Baghdad's protected Green Zone. "This agreement is not subject to extension, not subject to alteration. It is sealed."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204685004576045700275218580.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

Creating a Secret Propaganda Campaign to Manufactur­­e a False Case for War Against Iraq.

Falsely, Systematic­­ally, and with Criminal Intent Conflating the Attacks of September 11, 2001, With Misreprese­­ntation of Iraq as a Security Threat as Part of Fraudulent Justificat­­ion for a War of Aggression­­.

Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Possessed Weapons of Mass Destructio­­n, to Manufactur­­e a False Case for War.

Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Posed an Imminent Threat to the United States.

Invading Iraq in Violation of the Requiremen­­ts of HJRes114.

Invading Iraq Absent a Declaratio­­n of War.

Invading Iraq, A Sovereign Nation, in Violation of the UN Charter.

Initiating a War Against Iraq for Control of That Nation's Natural Resources

Creating a Secret Task Force to Develop Energy and Military Policies With Respect to Iraq and Other Countries

Reckless Misspendin­­g and Waste of U.S. Tax Dollars in Connection With Iraq and US Contractor­­s

Illegal Detention: Detaining Indefinite­­ly And Without Charge Persons Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Captives

Torture: Secretly Authorizin­­g, and Encouragin­­g the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanista­­n, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy

Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Orde­­red Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment

Repeatedly Ignored and Failed to Respond to High Level Intelligen­­ce Warnings of Planned Terrorist Attacks in the US, Prior to 911.

Obstructio­­n of the Investigat­­ion into the Attacks of September 11, 2001
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/28/iraq-wants-the-us-out-pri_n_801918.html#comments

Bush and Cheney and the rest of their cronies should be in prison!

They would at least get a fair trial and not the Kangaroo court saddam had. I think Bush/Cheney are bigger criminals than Saddam ever was.

I agree.

that is a bit of a stretch wouldn't you say?

as bad as saddam? come on man..

Yeah you're right!

As peed off as most Americans were,
they'd probably been hung or shot in the streets.

No tears. Ta Ta For Now!

They are worse than Saddam being these traitors grew up in america and raised by the rule of Law. Saddam was a mad dog. Bush and Cheney are calculateing genocidal maniacs. Not only did they fail in Iraq they failed our country. For generations we will be paying this bankrupting bill and future generations will look back and see the begining of the fall of america and its middle class started in Iraq.

I voted to use them as guinea pigs for the initial testing of the space elevator.

Iraq is free of rape rooms and torture chambers."—President Bush, remarks to 2003 Republican National Committee Presidential Gala, Oct. 8, 2003
He forgot to tell us we re occupied the rape rooms and torture chambers.

If you go to COSTOFWAR.com Iraq has cost less money than Obamas stimulus package.

As for the fall of America I would say it started long before Bush and was accelerated by Clinton and Gores NAFTA.

4 years of pelosi running the house has increased the debt by 5 TRILLION dollars.

Bush and Cheney pushed a war that we didn't need and Iraq was certainly not an imminent threat, but to put all the ills of this country on his plate is revisionist history that doesn't jive with the facts.

But where is all of this oil we were supposted to get?

Why in the H*** do you think we needed the bailout? I will give you a clue, It wasnt because Bush did a good job. Jesus talk about revisionist history If they had been tending the countries business and not rewarding the oil indistry and Halliburton and Ennron we wouldnt have needed a stimulas package.

The stimulus did absolutely nothing, but increase the debt.

I've covered this several times.

Keynesian style economics don't work. You don't spend money and grow debt to fix a recession caused by overspending and debt.

why the hell do you think after 2 years we are still treading water? because the Keynesian tactics worked?

As for blaming Bush you are simply clueless. Bush didn't create the housing bubble nor did he steer the federal reserve to loosen monetary policy or THREATEN TO TAKE BANKS TO COURT FOR NOT LOWERING LENDING STANDARDS.

This is a country where people are lazy, ignorant and want something for nothing.

That will be our downfall.. Guaranteed..

You can say it did nothing but most economists disagree with you. More jobs were saved than created for sure. The great recession didnt turn into the great depresion. I know the cash for clunkers pumped alot of steam into the auto section of the economy.

so when are you going to stop blaming bush for every problem in the world? sure, he was a bad pres, but name a good prez we have had in the past 40 years...get with the program, bush is done and we have new problems, like obama...you guys just seem to want to live in the past... not sure why, but you do...

Most people who are intllectually honest hate to see history re-writen. It shames me as an american when the people who have such short attention spans ignore the real troubles faceing this country. Obama isnt the problemb he has tried to address many of the issues created by the Bush crime syndicate. In t he Bush years it was a collusion of forces that took down our economy. You can condem unions all you want but they fight for the middle class. They demand a fair share, repubicans wage war on unions. Oil prices? Bush was in bed with the oil barrons. Miltary industrial establishment? Cheney is just that. No big suprise we are at war is it? Its a well laid trap once its started, being that if Obama pulls out he lost the war and will be blasted for that. I bame Obama for one thing, not takeing Bush/Cheney on trial for war crimes. Though they are simply realy too powerfull to take down being so entrenched with the real powers that run this country. One would have to be a rube to think any elected official can change the course set out by the fortune 500 companies. Most of those elected are thier represenatives, especialy those who call themselves republicans.