NYT: Condi's Iraq visit backfires

Iraqi Says Visit by Two Diplomats Backfired - New York Times: "A top adviser to Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said Wednesday that the visit this week by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw of Britain had backfired, prolonging a deadlock over a new government and strengthening Mr. Jaafari's resolve to keep his post.

'Pressure from outside is not helping to speed up any solution,' said the adviser, Haider al-Abadi. 'All it's doing is hardening the position of people who are supporting Jaafari.'

He added, 'They shouldn't have come to Baghdad.'

His comments were echoed by several political leaders on Wednesday, including Kurds and Sunni Arabs."