Wednesday, June 23, 2010 Nuri al-Maliki spurns regional powers
BAGHDAD: Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called on regional powers on Tuesday to stop meddling in Iraqi coalition talks, blaming them for the absence of a new government nearly four months after elections.
“I am not prepared to wait for what the external intervention will say, but unfortunately, the external intervention is influencing the national situation,” Maliki told a news conference.
“National political leaders are no longer able to make any decision because of that,” he said in response to a question about the influence of neighbouring countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia.
“The people who were in the forefront of the political process have voluntarily given in to foreign agendas.”
The incumbent prime minister, who is being challenged for the right to form a new government by former premier Iyad Allawi, said Iraq had no desire to fall out with regional governments but warned they were complicating efforts to forge a new political consensus.
“I’m calling for good relations, but there is one thing we are wholly responsible for — it is called my nation,” Maliki said.
“The entry of international and regional intervention into the formation of the government has created many problems.
“I’m talking to my partners in the political process. If we all move together and work within the national framework, we will find many opportunities for solutions.”
http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=246589
Allawi "Iraq needs a lot of support to get out of bottleneck", Allawi tells CNN (different source) ...
