Lies for the sake of elections

Iraqi Premier al-Maliki denied the statement by US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad that his government had agreed to a calendar of measures to be adopted at the request of Washington. Al-Maliki declared that no such agreement existed, saying the announcement was part of [Republican] campaign strategy for the upcoming midterm elections.

The Premier also condemned a raid by US troops on Sadr City in which four cilivians were killed and 20 wounded, saying that he would ensure that it would not happen again. Police reported that US troops fired at them as they were transporting the wounded to the hospital.

[Assembled from Le Monde and BBC]