…comes from this  post in The American Thinker by John B. Dwyer. Recall that yesterday in this space I spotted the same clear discrepancy in stories between the AP and the LA Times. Today Dwyer find the same thing in a story in the Telegraph.

Dwyer was able to get confirmation that the story was false by contacting the Cheif Public Affairs officer in Petraus’ command who says this:
 

“Gen Petraeus and the Prime Minister have never had a stand-up shouting match. This is a totally fabricated story.

Gen Petraeus has never stated or even hinted at a “stormy relationship.” Saying that they do not pull punches is very different from stormy. That means they have very frank, open, and perhaps direct conversations and continue to do so.  Based on what is at stake here; that is what is needed and it should be expected that both are able to have very open and frank dialogue.

Gen Petraeus and other key staff have sat in on every video teleconference with PM Maliki and President Bush.  Those statements have never been even hinted at.  In addition, PM Maliki has never said what is quoted in the Telegraph to Gen Petraeus.”

The Telgraph story quotes an unnamed source as saying Maliki desires the change, while I concluded yesterday that the source is probably a member of the Moqtada al Sadr voting block which is the political arm of the Mahdi Army, and ally of Iran.

Its becoming obvious that it is the Sadr block who desires Petraus ouster and is advancing the story. Its not good that the Telagraph and the AP are dupes for this and serving as their mouthpiece. Is it that they crave access? CNN proved they would do this in Iraq before the war. Or is it that the writers are covering up their anti-war politics by using Sadr allies as sources?

This may indicate that Sadr and his Iranian masters fear Petraus and his offensive and are tooling up their propoganda proxies in the media knowing it will be read in the US.