Who wrote Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s speech before a joint meeting of [tag]Congress[\/tag] yesterday? It’s probably safe to say the wordsmiths at the [tag]Bush[\/tag] [tag]White House[\/tag] had a hand in the writing. It’s also worth remembering that this wouldn’t be the first time.<\/p>\n
To be sure, [tag]Maliki[\/tag] stuck to the points<\/a> the administration and congressional Republicans wanted to hear. He told lawmakers that Iraq is the “front line” in the fight against terrorism; he vowed to make Iraq an “active player” in the security and stability of the Middle East; and he insisted that “Iraqis are your allies in the war on terror.”<\/p>\n It prompted Slate’s Fred Kaplan to wonder<\/a> if the Bush gang wrote the [tag]speech[\/tag]. His conclusion? Probably.<\/p>\n Maliki’s speech, which he must have read half-ashamed, half-relieved that almost nobody back home would be listening. It was a speech right out of George W. Bush’s playbook. It painted the war in Iraq as a struggle between democracy and terrorism. “Iraq is free,” he said, “and the terrorists cannot stand this.” Those who killed thousands of Americans on Sept. 11 are “the same terrorists” as those killing innocent Iraqis today. “Iraqis are your allies in the war on terror,” and Iraq is this war’s “front line.” […]<\/p>\n Did Bush aides write the speech? White House spokesman [tag]Tony Snow[\/tag] said at his daily press conference that there had been “conversations about the speech” ahead of time –from which one could reasonably infer that they engaged, at least, in heavy editing.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n When Snow was asked whether White House officials had advised the prime minister on what to say, Snow said<\/a>, “I think the word ‘advise’ is a little strong. We have seen copies of it.”<\/p>\n Long-time readers may recall that this wouldn’t be the first time the Bush gang intervened to write a speech for an Iraqi prime minister.
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\nIn September 2004, near the height of the presidential campaign, then-Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad [tag]Allawi[\/tag] also addressed a joint session of Congress, and — whaddaya know — his message dovetailed perfectly with the Bush campaign’s message.<\/p>\n