the headline says "Iraq Wants the U.S. Out" as if they have ever not wanted the u.s. out. in the january 2005 parliamentary elections, the first post-saddam elections in iraq, the winner was the united iraqi alliance, a coalition whose platform called for a timetable for withdrawal of all foreign forces in iraq. the UIA also won the december 2005 elections. polls have repeatedly shown that the overwhelming majority of iraqis want u.s. forces out of the country, that has been pretty constantly in every poll of iraqis that i have seen for the past seven and one-half years.
any yet, there is this persistent delusion here in the u.s. that the iraqis want to be under a u.s.-led occupation. it shouldn't be surprising at all that prime minister maliki would insist that the u.s. stick to its withdrawal timetable. in fact, that could be seen as a sign of democratic accountability, because it shows that al-maliki is actually responsive to public opinion in his country.
