Bush says Iraqis will decide Maliki's fate

Washington DC (Map, News) - One day after an influential Democratic senator called for the ouster of Iraq's prime minister, President Bush said Tuesday it's “up to the Iraqis to make that decision, not American politicians.”

Bush was responding to Michigan Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, who said Monday that Iraq's parliament should replace Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his “nonfunctioning” cabinet.

“I hope the parliament will vote the Maliki government out of office and will have the wisdom to replace it with a less sectarian and more unifying prime minister and government,” Levin said.

Bush suggested Levin was overstepping his authority.

“The Iraqis will decide,” the president told reporters during a visit to Canada. “If the government doesn't respond to the demands of the people, they will replace the government.”

Still, Bush lamented the Maliki government's “inability to work” toward political reconciliation.

“There's a certain level of frustration with the leadership in general,” he said, “to get, for example, an oil revenue law passed or provincial elections.”

He added: “Clearly, the Iraqi government's got to do more through its parliament to help heal the wounds of having lived years under a tyrant.”

While Bush was unsatisfied with the national government's “top-down” reforms in Iraq, he was heartened by the “bottom-up” success of local governments.

“People at the grassroots level are sick and tired of the violence, sick and tired of the radicalism, and they want a better life,” he said. “And they're beginning to reject the extremists that have the desire to have a safe haven, for example, from which to launch further attacks on America.”

While conceding the political picture is mixed, at best, in Iraq, the president made clear that he believes the military situation has improved since he surged additional troops into troubled areas. But he deferred to Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, to give a fuller report next month to Congress.

“I certainly don't want to prejudge General David Petraeus' report,” Bush said. “But there is some progress being made. One aspect of my decision is working.”

bsammon@dcexaminer.com

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