Days After Initial Grudging Acceptance, Maliki Aides Offer Warmer Reply to Bush Plan

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/14/world/middleeast/14iraq.html

Days After Initial Grudging Acceptance, Maliki Aides Offer Warmer Reply to Bush Plan

BAGHDAD, Jan. 13 — Warming from its initial response this week, the Iraqi prime minister’s office on Saturday expressed support for President Bush’s new war strategy. But it continued to emphasize that the Iraqi government would retain control over all military action in Baghdad, and Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki maintained a public silence on the issue.

Mr. Bush announced Thursday that he would send more than 20,000 additional combat troops to Iraq, with most bound for Baghdad, the capital, in an effort to set up round-the-clock security operations in most of the city.

Mr. Maliki’s government, however, initially gave what appeared to be grudging acceptance of the plan at best. His spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, emphasized that the government’s ultimate goal was to ensure a permanent withdrawal of American troops. But if the increase would help security for Iraq, he said, “the government, for sure, will not stand against it.”

He added that the strategy had “positive points” but asserted Baghdad’s right to demand changes. “We will tell the American administration to amend any point that we feel is not suitable,” he told reporters then.

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The military officer, who spoke anonymously because the information had not yet been officially announced, said for the most part the Iraqi force would not be directed against the Shiite militias, including the dominant Mahdi Army militia that claims loyalty to the cleric Moktada al-Sadr. The majority of fighting against the Mahdi Army would be left to the Americans in tandem with the Iraqi special operations forces, which are made up of many non-Arab Kurds as well as Sunni and Shiite Arabs.