al-Maliki snubs Bush, decides to dine "with someone else''

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2006/11/bush_and_almali.html#more

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Bush did dine with the king – but al-Maliki was dining "with someone else,'' the White House says, insisting that this last-minute change of plans had nothing to do with today's revelation of a once-secret White House memo that questioned al-Maliki's competence to lead his government. The memo posed the question of whether al-Maliki is not up to the task, deceiving the United States or simply "ignorant'' of what's going on in the streets of Baghdad – where members of his government are protesting his meeting with the U.S. president.


"No one should read too much into this,'' Dan Bartlett, counselor to the president, said this evening at Raghadan Palace. Bartlett insisted that the change-up had nothing to do with the embarrassing memo from National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley that was published today. "Absolutely not.''


...

Al-Maliki and King Abdullah had met here prior to Bush's arrival this evening, according to Barlett, and this "negated the purpose for the three of them to meet tonight, together.''

Bartlett called the original meetings planned tonight social, and promised that tomorrow's meeting between Bush and al-Maliki will be "robust.''

Bush headed to his hotel after dinner with the king.