April 28, 2007	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1428

BAGHDAD: US pressure on Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki to speed up reconciliation among warring sects could backfire as Iraqi leaders don’t want to be seen as taking orders from an increasingly impatient Washington.

US commanders leading a Baghdad crackdown aimed at giving Maliki time to pass power-sharing laws refer to a Washington clock and a Baghdad clock ticking at different speeds.

General David Petraeus, commander of US forces in Iraq, summed up the dilemma on Thursday when he spoke of an American clock “moving at a rapid rate of speed that reflects the frustration, impatience, disappointment, anger and a variety of other emotions” and a Baghdad clock “not moving as rapidly”.

With President George

W. Bush under mounting pressure from Democrats to set a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops, Washington is tightening the screws on Maliki to deliver laws on sharing Iraq's oil wealth and rolling back a ban on members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party from office by September.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has linked the passage of the laws with continued higher US troop levels. The laws have fallen hostage to the sectarian and ethnic infighting plaguing Maliki’s government and the parliament.

But some politicians warned that pushing Maliki too hard could weaken his grip on power. His government has already been hit by the resignation this month of six cabinet ministers loyal to anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

“Americans need benchmarks because of their public opinion and Congress, but if you interfere too much and put too much pressure it could be counter-productive and create negative consequences,” Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish lawmaker said.

“Iraq wants to have its sovereignty back and not see Washington telling them ‘do this and do that’. Maliki needs the support of Washington, but he can’t be seen in front of his people to be taking orders from the Americans so publicly.”

Ten weeks into the Baghdad crackdown, seen as a last effort to avert Iraq from sliding into civil war, there are few signs parliament will pass the laws before it recesses in July.—Reuters