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NARRATOR:As the death toll grew, the political pressure intensified. Some of the president’s men blamed Nouri al Maliki.
PETER BAKER, Author, Days of Fire:There’s a real frustration with Maliki inside the Bush government. He’s just not somebody who’s easy to do business with, and they’re not happy with him. And so, in fact, when opposition to Maliki develops inside the Iraqi government, there’s a real school of thought inside Washington, saying, “OK, fine. Let him go.”
NARRATOR:One of the first to raise concerns about Maliki was national security advisor Stephen Hadley.
STEPHEN HADLEY:There was a sectarian agenda that was being carried out on the ground.
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www.pbs.org: NY Times transcription]
NARRATOR:The previous fall, Hadley had authored a memo warning that Maliki’s government was becoming increasingly sectarian. Reports of nondelivery of services to Sunni areas, removal of Iraq’s most effective commanders on a sectarian basis and efforts to ensure Shia majorities in all ministries, all suggest a campaign to consolidate Shia power in Baghdad.
STEPHEN HADLEY:And I tried to frame the issue for the president, knowing that this was a judgment that the president was going to have to make himself.
NARRATOR:And now, over a secure videoconference, both General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker gave up on the president’s man.
RYAN CROCKER:There was a moment when Dave Petraeus and I, because we were in the smoke and the dust every single damn day, had had it with Maliki. We said, “Boss, we got to have a change here.’
NARRATOR:But Bush had taken a liking to Maliki. He insisted he would not turn his back on the prime minister.
PETER BAKER:Bush really believes in his gut instinct towards other leaders. He really believes that international affairs is driven at least partly by how heads of state get along and whether they can trust each other. And he thinks he’s gotten a read on Maliki at this point.
RYAN CROCKER:The president effectively said, “You know, guys, I know you’re under a lot of pressure, but just go sit under a tree until that notion passes from your minds. We are going to make it work with Maliki. There is no other alternative.”