Bush visit may have downside for al-Maliki

[Placebo]

President Bush's trip to Baghdad comes at a pivotal time for the new prime minister, as he tries to convince Iraqis the country can stand on its own and end violence - if they unite behind him.

But instead of bolstering that effort, Bush's trip could push away the very Sunni Arabs Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is trying to court.

Bush and U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad have made much of the fact that al-Maliki and his national unity government are the result of three years of democratic progress. But it is an experiment in Middle Eastern civics that has cost thousands of American and Iraqi lives and arguably has been outpaced by the Sunni insurgency.

"I appreciate you recognizing that the future of the country is in your hands," Bush told al-Maliki as he came to Baghdad to congratulate the prime minister for finally assembling a Cabinet six months after parliamentary elections.

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[wakeme2008]

1. What can I say

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Tanuki]

2. Even GOP candidates

in local races across the U.S. have tried to distance themselves from * lately....surely someone in the White House should have figured this could backfire for al-Maliki, since the average Iraqi hates Bush even more than the average American does.

[otohara]

3. US President Gets Protested That Day After For His Very Prescence

the Iraqi's will never get the chance to protest prior to a Bush 5 hour visit.

The anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr planned a demonstration for Wednesday to protest Bush's presence in the country.

[cliss]

4. Look at that smiling, desperate clown face

with the big red nose.

I take it George has been hitting the bottle again. Sure looks like it from the photo.

[Briar]

5. The intention of Bush's visit

was to bolster his own standing at home, not al-Maliki's standing in Iraq. Bush's motives are always narrowly nationalistic and his primary audience always his own electorate.