by Mac for ASKEW
November 29, 2006
1:30 PM Eastern Time

Crisis talks scheduled in Jordan today between President Bush and Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki, have been delayed at Bush's request until Thursday. The specific reasons for the delay have not yet been released to the press. The president arrived in Jordan Wednesday, where he was met by Jordanian security forces there to create a safe environment in which the talks will take place.

The talks were to take place amidst growing concerns in the U.S. government that al-Maliki is unable to deal with growing inter-faction violence in Iraq, and growing violence in Iraq itself. The meeting was scheduled in Amman, Jordan for the safety of both leaders. The Iraqi Prime Minister will also not be attending a dinner hosted by Jordanian King Abdullah II this evening, although Bush will meet with the king as planned.

Recently, Shiite leader and reknowned cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, along with 36 of his loyalists, made good on a threat to boycott the Iraqi parliament and withdraw cooperation with al-Maliki's administration, if al-Maliki were to go ahead with the meeting with the American president. Al-Sadr has monetary and political ties to Iran.

Also, a memo was leaked by the New York Times, written by National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley on November 8 to President Bush, in which he vehemently questioned al-Maliki's capabilities to build a stable government in Iraq and handle the country's increasing violence.

President Bush issued a statement before his arrival in Jordan saying that U.S. troops will remain in Iraq until the mission is accomplished. He also refused to call the growing conflict a "civil war" as of yet.