<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/17/world/middleeast/17iraq.html? _r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all>
But the prime minister resisted Mr. Sadr’s demand to press the Americans for a timetable, saying that the issue of American withdrawal was dependent on “the readiness of our armed forces to handle the entire security portfolio in all provinces.”
Iraqi and American officials have widely criticized Mr. Sadr’s ministers as corrupt and ineffective, so replacing them could bring long-term benefits to the ministries. Mr. Maliki has been saying for months that he wants to overhaul his cabinet.
In part, Mr. Sadr is playing to his base, an enormous population of poor, downtrodden Shiites who feel they have suffered under both the American presence and the Sunni Arab insurgency.
A senior Sadr legislator, Bahaa al- Aaraji, when asked about the timetable, said American troops should stay in Iraq for two more years at the most, and must ensure that the country has a strong army and police force before leaving.