What Iraqi leaders???

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Iraqi Leaders Urge a Timetable for Eventual Troop Withdrawal
By Caroline Alexander, Bloomberg, London

Here's a classic example of the lowered threshold of journalistic abilities. Headline blares - "Iraqi Leaders..." bla bla bla

I defy you to find any name of an "Iraqi leader" quoted in the article. As a matter of fact, you'll be hard pressed to find which, if any, Iraqi "leader" was present at this summit.

In fact, there are only two names in the entire article. That of Amre Moussa, Sec'y Gen of the Arab League of Nations, and al Jazeera as the media broadcaster. Whoa... that gives me pause for cause.

Were any of the voices those of the elected leaders of Iraq? Or is it just easier to have some disgruntled clerics and tribal leaders attend, and insinuate they speak for the Iraqi government in the headline? Bad journalistic form here.

Would you like to ask her if she has a clue who was there? I have.. her e-mail is calexander1@bloomberg.net

UPDATE - 11-22-05

Oh my... hard to believe that it to SALAH NASRAWI or the Associated Press to clarify the misleading headline.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Iraqi Shiite and Kurdish lawmakers as well as leading Sunni politicians were in attendence.

So what is the "pullout" they are advocating? Nothing different that the current plan... to help the Iraqis build their security until they are self-sufficient, then leave. This is considerably different than the current liberal position of the pols to set a timetable, no matter what.

The leaders agreed on "calling for the withdrawal of foreign troops according to a timetable, through putting in place an immediate national program to rebuild the armed forces ... control the borders and the security situation" and end terror attacks.

snip

Sunni leaders have been pressing the Shiite-majority government to agree to a timetable for the withdrawal of all foreign troops. The statement recognized that goal, but did not lay down a specific time — reflecting instead the government's stance that Iraqi security forces must be built up first.

On Monday, Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabr suggested U.S.-led forces should be able to leave Iraq by the end of next year, saying the one-year extension of the mandate for the multinational force in Iraq by the U.N. Security Council this month could be the last.

"By the middle of next year we will be 75 percent done in building our forces and by the end of next year it will be fully ready," he told the Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera.

snip

" President Bush has made our position very clear," department spokeswoman Julie Reside said. "The coalition remains committed to helping the Iraqi people achieve stability and security as they rebuild their country. We will stay as long as it takes to achieve those goals and no longer."

As is usual with the MSM, a headline that is much ado about nothing.