Dianne Feinstein: Senator Feinstein Calls for Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki to Step Down

August 23, 2007 -- Palmdale, Calif. – In response to a question during a press availability at a Northrop Grumman plant in Palmdale, Calif., U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today called for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to resign as head of the Iraqi government.

The following is a transcript of Senator Feinstein’s remarks:

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“My own view is that he should resign. The problem is who would replace him, what does that mean, and what are the implications?

I think Maliki has been a failure. Parliament doesn’t show up for work. The ministers walk out. And he can’t meet the benchmarks he set for himself. There are Shia against Shia, and Shia against Sunni.

Iraq has become very destabilized and the leadership is not adequate. So, my view is that he should resign.”

NIE Assessment on Iraq

An unclassified summary of a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraq released today notes “measurable but uneven improvements” regarding the security situation in Iraq, but raises troubling questions about the ability of Prime Minister Maliki and his government to facilitate political reconciliation and unify the country.

Among the new NIE’s findings:

* To date, Iraqi leaders remain unable to govern effectively.
* The Iraqi Government will continue to struggle to achieve national-level political reconciliation and improved governance.
* Broadly accepted political compromises required for sustained security, long-term political progress, and economic development are unlikely to emerge unless there is a fundamental shift in the factors driving Iraqi political and security developments.
* The Iraqi Government will become more precarious over the next 6 to 12 months because of criticism by other members of the major Shia coalition (the Unified Iraqi Alliance, UIA), Grand Ayatollah Sistani, and other Sunni and Kurdish parties.

The NIE assessment is based on the analysis and findings of the 16 agencies that comprise the U.S. intelligence community and provides projections over the next 6 to 12 months.

Source: Senator Dianne Feinstein