• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Iraq Wants U.S. Pledge To Stay Til End

Mike

Well-known member
Iraq wants security pledge from U.S. -Zebari
Fri Feb 15, 2008 12:40am IST Email | Print | Share| Single Page[-] Text [+]
1 of 1Full SizeBy Dean Yates and Sean Maguire

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq wants to see assurances that Washington will stand by Iraq in a long-term bilateral accord the two countries are about to negotiate, Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Thursday.

The substance of the pact has become a politically charged issue in Washington in a presidential election year with opposition Democrats saying the accord must not bind a future leader to protecting Iraq and keeping troops there long-term.

Talks will begin this month and finish before the next president is elected on Nov. 4. Leading Democratic candidates have pledged to end the unpopular five-year war and bring home the 150,000 troops fighting militants and sectarianism.

Zebari, who said Iraq did not want an open-ended commitment from the United States, acknowledged the sensitivity.

"What we would like to see in this agreement really is a continued commitment by the U.S. government to stand by the Iraqi government against foreign threats and against internal threats," Zebari told Reuters in an interview.

"But really it doesn't mean that we want the United States to join forces with Iraq to fight another war with Iran or any other neighbours. This is not the intention, or to drag the Americans into something that is not in their interest."

U.S. forces operate in Iraq under a United Nations mandate that expires at the end of 2008. Iraq does not want that extended, so the two governments need to agree guidelines to allow American forces to remain beyond the end of this year.

Fighting back against charges the deal will go too far, senior administration officials said this week the accord will just be a "status of forces" agreement that will not set troop levels or commit Washington to protect Iraq against attack.

Asked if he wanted the United States to commit itself to protect Iraq in the event of an external threat, Zebari said:

"This would be left for the negotiations. This is a highly technical, legal negotiation, so I don't want to jump into any conclusions.

"It would be some kind of status of forces (agreement) but maybe beyond that also."

U.S. politicians argue any defence guarantee would elevate the accord to the level of treaty, which would require difficult-to-achieve Senate approval.


IMMUNITY AND PRISONERS

Zebari said making private security contractors accountable for their actions in Iraq and deciding if the U.S. military can continue to detain prisoners would be thorny issues.

The immunity foreign security guards enjoy has been in the spotlight since a shooting incident last September involving U.S. firm Blackwater in which 17 people were killed in Baghdad.

Blackwater said its guards acted lawfully, but the deaths enraged the Iraqi government. A measure issued by the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority in 2004 prevents foreign security contractors from being prosecuted in local courts.

"This has become a very sensitive issue with the Iraqi public because of the previous incidents which created outrage," Zebari said.

He said it was too early to say if that meant lifting immunity, but added "that is where were are going".

Zebari also said a future Democratic president might not withdraw U.S. troops as quickly as the two leading contenders for the Democratic nomination, Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton, have promised.

Obama has said he would have all U.S. troops out within 16 months. Clinton has said she would start bringing troops home.

"I think the United States has deep-rooted, enduring strategic interests in this region," Zebari said.

"It's not Iraq as such, it's the Gulf, it's the oil, it's Iran, it's the Middle East peace process, so I personally don't believe there will be any quick disengagement, whoever will win this race.

"They have listened to us very closely, Senator Clinton, Senator Obama. They know what is at stake."



© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
DUH!!!!....sure they want us there to fight their fight.


And they only want to get it done before the next Pres as they know what an idiot GW is and that he'll agree to anything.


:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
 

hopalong

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
DUH!!!!....sure they want us there to fight their fight.


And they only want to get it done before the next Pres as they know what an idiot GW is and that he'll agree to anything.


:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
No they want to get it done before the election in case BILLERY should get in the white house and hands all of out heads to the enemy.
 

Mike

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
DUH!!!!....sure they want us there to fight their fight.


And they only want to get it done before the next Pres as they know what an idiot GW is and that he'll agree to anything.


:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

I don't suppose you remember in history class where France helped us in the American Revolution, do you? :roll:

They did it in spite of a severe depression over there.

Did you ever learn where the "Statue of Liberty" came from? :roll:
 

Latest posts

Top