Good chance - make Maliki put up or shut up.
President Bush and Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki are facing a decision whether to keep their scheduled meeting next week in Jordan at the risk of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr making good on a threat to pull his Shiite faction from the fragile coalition government.
The White House sought to show strength in the face of the daunting situation, issuing a statement Friday denouncing recent acts of violence that included the burning Friday of Sunni mosques and worshippers, and car bombings that have killed more than 200 Iraqi civilians in the last two days.
"These ruthless acts of violence are deplorable," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said. "It is an outrage that terrorists are targeting innocents in a brazen effort to topple a democratically elected government and it's not going to work. Securing Baghdad and gaining control of the violence will be a priority agenda item when President Bush meets with Prime Minister al-Maliki in just a few days."
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