US envoy meets with Maliki, Issawi on current crisis

Tagheer TV, 23 Dec 2012 – A source in Prime Minister Nouri Maliki’s office said the premier has become ill due to his meeting with US Ambassador in Iraq Stephen Beecroft. This source said Ambassador Stephen Beecroft informed Maliki with a very harsh tone that the US administration views maverick measures in the government as unacceptable, adding Iraq cannot be managed in a manner the Prime Minister is pursuing.
This source added an Iraq National Security Council session chaired by Maliki was cancelled due to his ill conditions.
Furthermore, Finance Minister Rafa Essawi, a senior Iraqiya Coalition member, met with US Ambassador in Iraq Stephen Beecroft, discussing the issue of the arrest of his bodyguards by security forces last Thursday.
In a statement issued by Essawi, both parties stressed targeting patriotic figures is a dangerous issue impacting the country’s political trend. Also, it is expected for these measures to provoke the flames of protests among angry people in various provinces. This statement adds Issawi and the American envoy stressed the importance of urgently resolving this issue because it is possible this matter will backlash the country to the conditions of 2006-2007.