Malaiki urged Bush to leave Baghdad. Bush lies about it.

According to this article in the Washington Post, Maliki asked Bush to withdraw all U.S. troops from Baghdad.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had a surprise for President Bush when they sat down with their aides in the Four Seasons Hotel in Amman, Jordan. Firing up a PowerPoint presentation, Maliki and his national security adviser proposed that U.S. troops withdraw to the outskirts of Baghdad and let Iraqis take over security in the strife-torn capital. Maliki said he did not want any more U.S. troops at all, just more authority.

The president listened intently to the unexpected proposal at their Nov. 30 meeting, according to accounts from several administration officials. Bush seemed impressed that Maliki had taken the initiative, but it did not take him long to reject the idea.

Of course, Bush rejected the idea, but now he claims the idea of the surge was al-Maliki's. From the Prez's speech at Ft. Benning the day after he announced the "surge."

The Prime Minister came and said, look, I understand we've got to do something about this violence, and here is what I suggest we do. Our commanders looked at it, helped fine-tune it so it would work.

[A hat tip to the Carpetbagger Report]