It was not the first time that Speaker Pelosi was snubbed by an Arab leader…
But at least this time it wasn’t because of a soccer game.
Antiwar Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki today after he got back from tackling security issues in Mosul. (Reuters)
Crazy Aunt Nan…
Poor antiwar Nancy Pelosi was left stranded in Baghdad for 24 hours before the Iraqi Prime Minister made it back to Baghdad to meet with her.
TIME Magazine reported:
Pelosi is something of a nonentity to average Iraqis. If they know who she is at all, she is generally seen as an antiwar caricature figure, someone whose views on U.S. troop withdrawals are widely considered unrealistic.
Pelosi has said she wants to see most U.S. troops withdrawn from Iraq by the end of the 2008, a time frame virtually no Iraqi political leader sees as feasible. Not even Mahdi Army militia leader Moqtada al-Sadr, the fiercest advocate of a U.S. withdrawal on the scene, has called for such a rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces. Rather, Sadr contends that the Americans should simply announce a reasonable timetable for the departure of U.S. forces.
The lack of popularity of Pelosi’s views was evident in the fact that her first day on the ground Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki did not make an effort to see her. Maliki is currently in the northern city of Mosul overseeing a crackdown on insurgent networks there. But the city has been largely quiet in recent days, and there was no obvious pressing reason for the prime minister to skip Pelosi’s arrival.
Pelosi may not get much more warmth from the American military leaders she plans to meet either. Pelosi argued against sending additional surge forces to Iraq, a plan overseen by Gen. David Petraeus that is now widely credited with reducing the levels of violence in Iraq. Moreover, Pelosi made waves on Capitol Hill in November by saying U.S. troops were torturing detainees – an accusation generally not taken well by men and women in uniform of any rank.
Hat Tip BG
Not even crazy al-Sadr wants a such a rapid withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.
…Now that is bad.
The sad thing is though- she doesn’t care!
Later today the Iraqi parliament speaker al-Mashhadani lectured US Speaker Nancy Pelosi on her moral duty to Iraq.
Aswat Al-Iraq reported:
Iraq’s Parliament Speaker al-Mashhadani met on Saturday his U.S. counterpart Nancy Pelosi currently visiting Iraq, expressing his concern over a non-binding congressional resolution to withdraw the U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2009.
“Despite the improved capabilities of the Iraqi forces to carry out military operation in places such as Basra and Mosul, they are not fully capable to preserve the people of Iraq and its riches,” Mashhadani told reporters after meeting Pelosi in Baghdad.
“I reminded her of the moral duty of the U.S. toward Iraq, to maintain the democracy it initiated in the country. If security was absent, democracy would turn into no more than ink on paper,” Mashhadani added.
For her part, Pelosi who arrived earlier on Saturday in Baghdad, told reporters that she discussed with Mashhadani the forthcoming provincial elections, the progress made by the armed forces, and investments in Iraq.
After their meeting today, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki released a statement saying Pelosi expressed her support for the Iraq during their meeting.
Aswat Aliraq reported:
“Nancy Pelosi expressed her country’s support of the Iraqi government with regards to the efforts taken to attain security and stability in Iraq, to reach the national reconciliation, to impose law, and to establish economic and construction projects,” Maliki’s office said in a release received by Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI).
UPDATE: Powerline reported that Pelosi acknowledged that the surge is working.
Tell that to Code Pink, Nancy!
Related News… Moqtada al-Sadr Under Arrest In Iran?
Dear Reader - The enemies of freedom are choking off the Gateway Pundit from the resources we need to bring you the truth. Since many asked for it, we now have a way for you to support The Gateway Pundit directly - and get ad-reduced access. Plus, there are goodies like a special Gateway Pundit coffee mug for supporters at a higher level. You can see all the options by clicking here - thank you for your support!
