What Maliki really said...by Sybil Adelman Sage

The New York Times has gotten a copy of the actual interview audio from Der Speigel, which was:

"Obama's remarks, that if he takes office in 16 months he would withdraw the forces, we think that this period could increase or decrease a little, but that it could be suitable to end the presence of the forces in Iraq." He continued, "Who wants to exit in a quicker way has a better assessment of the situation in Iraq."

It's conceivable that without pressure from the White House, Maliki might have said, "American troops are like fish. They start to stink after three days."