| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| Maliki raises possibility that Iraq might ask U.S. to leave |
| 2008-06-14 |
| Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki raised the possibility that his country won't sign a status of forces agreement with the United States and will ask U.S. troops to go home when their U.N. mandate to be in Iraq expires at the end of the year. Maliki made the comment after weeks of complaints from Shiite Muslim lawmakers that U.S. proposals that would govern a continued troop presence in Iraq would infringe on Iraq's sovereignty. "Iraq has another option that it may use," Maliki said during a visit to Amman, Jordan. "The Iraqi government, if it wants, has the right to demand that the U.N. terminate the presence of international forces on Iraqi sovereign soil." Earlier, Maliki acknowledged that talks with the U.S. on a status of forces agreement "reached an impasse" after the American negotiators presented a draft that would have given the U.S. access to 58 military bases, control of Iraqi airspace and immunity from prosecution for both U.S. soldiers and private contractors. The Iraqis rejected those demands, and U.S. diplomats have submitted a second draft, which Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih told McClatchy included several major concessions. Among those would be allowing Iraq to prosecute private contractors for violations of Iraqi law and requiring U.S. forces to turn over to Iraqi authorities Iraqis that the Americans detain. Salih stressed that the Iraqi government wants to reach an agreement with the United States. But he said the Iraqi government wouldn't be pressured into accepting terms that compromised Iraq's rights as a sovereign state. "Our American allies need to understand and realize that this agreement must be respectful of Iraqi sovereignty," Salih said. "We need them here for a while longer, and they know they have to remain here for a while." American negotiators have hoped the talks would be finished by the end of July, but Maliki's latest remarks — as well as those by influential members of parliament — make that deadline seem unrealistic. More at link |
| Posted by:ed |
| #9 Makes me wonder if Tater isn't leading Maliki around by the nosering a bit. And if they push too hard, just leave. Iraq can pay for any operations required to bring Coalition troops back. And I doubt there would be any country participating but the USA. |
| Posted by: gorb 2008-06-14 23:15 |
| #8 Some sovereign country. Last week Maliki took counsel from Iran's parasitic Ayatollah class. In any case, SOFA is stillborn. It is all a set up for joint Sunni-Shiite war against US troops. That will commence mid August and continue until McCain is sandbagged. You can trust an Arab Muslim as far as you can spit against a hurricane. |
| Posted by: McZoid 2008-06-14 22:18 |
| #7 my 2¢ If we were able to pulled out of Iraq this week, by the end of the year Nouri al Maliki and his coalition would be fucked, try as they might, Iraq would disintegrate right under their feet. The Rivals, the so called "Insurgents" and the Terrorists, etc. would all come back with a vengeance and KILL till the land of Two Rivers ran RED with BLOOD!! No way can one group of Iraqis keep a National Army unified as yet. Or even keep Iraq's oil refined and distributed to all partz of Iraq. Same for the generation of electricity; Can Maliki keep all the equiptmnent running and distribute juice across the electrical grid? Can Maliki do all that across every "invisible" hurdle? Persuade every Big Shot special interest to let electricity pass over his territory to his old enemies grid? Who is going to keep Iraq's entire Pack of Tribes Unified?... Iraq's Races Unified?.... Iraq's Religious Sects unified as a National group? Realistically Iraq needs our help now and for at least 5 more years! |
| Posted by: RD 2008-06-14 21:51 |
| #6 important to separate the actual "internal consumption" hardass language from the real position. I'd think the Kurds might decide separate agreements with the US could be in order should Maliki go all Tehran-tool. The Sunnis might want a separate agreement as well. Two sides can play divide and conquer ;-) |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-06-14 20:17 |
| #5 No real problem with that - besides even such a request would take time to implement. Truly, when they're good to go, we're good to go. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2008-06-14 19:42 |
| #4 Not quite yet. Need to finish out the innings and nail the win. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-06-14 19:09 |
| #3 Sounds like Prime Minister Maliki has a handle on it. Victory is ours. They've got the ball, let's hit the bench and come on home. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-06-14 18:50 |
| #2 I suspect we added a bunch of "intolerables" to the treaty negotiations with a wink and a nod, so that the Iraqis could assert themselves. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-06-14 17:56 |
| #1 Good for the Iraqis...if this isn't Iranian stooges speaking. This is the beginnings of pan-Iraqi nationalism. If uniting against the big bad USA is what they need, then so be it. |
| Posted by: gromky 2008-06-14 17:39 |