BAGHDAD, Nov. 26, 2007
Iraq Agrees To Long-Term U.S. Presence
Bush-Maliki Deal To Help Form "Enduring Relationship" Including U.S. Military Role In Country
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Joined via video conference, President George W. Bush in Washington and Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad sign the U.S.-Iraq Declaration of Principles for Friendship and Cooperation, which sets the foundation for an "enduring relationship" between the two countries and will ensure a U.S. presence in Iraq for the long term. (White House Photo/Eric Draper)
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The agreement between Mr. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki confirms that the United States and Iraq will hash out an "enduring" relationship in military, economic and political terms.
CBS News' Pete Gow in Baghdad reports the proposals are to offer the U.S. a continued military presence in Iraq, as well as favorable business interests (such as investment opportunities for American companies), in return for guarantees to Iraq's future security.
Lieutenant General Douglas Lute told White House reporters the shape and size of any long-term military presence will be determined in negotiations planned for next year. CBS News White House correspondent Peter Maer reports that, according to Lute, today's agreement sets the agenda for those talks, with a completion goal of July 2008, when the U.S. intends to finish withdrawing the five combat brigades sent in 2007 as part of the current troop "surge."
"What U.S. troops are doing, how many troops are required to do that, are bases required, which partners will join them - all these things are on the negotiating table," said Lute, President Bush's adviser on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The proposal underlines how the United States and Iraq are exploring what their relationship might look like once the U.S. significantly draws down its troop presence. It comes as a Democratic Congress - unsuccessfully, so far - prods Mr. Bush to withdraw troops faster than he wants.
The "declaration of principles" was discussed in a secret meeting of Iraq's Parliament today, Gow reports, and was later signed by President Bush and al-Maliki during a secure video conference Monday morning.
Al-Maliki, in a televised address, said his government would ask the United Nations to renew the mandate for the multinational force for one final time with its authorization to end in 2008.
The U.S.-Iraq agreement will replace the present U.N. mandate regulating the presence of the U.S.-led forces in Iraq. Al-Maliki said the agreement provides for U.S. support for the "democratic regime in Iraq against domestic and external dangers."
It also would help the Iraqi government thwart any attempt to suspend or repeal a constitution drafted with U.S. help and adopted in a nationwide vote in 2005. That appeared to be a reference to any attempt to remove the government by violence or in a coup.
Al-Maliki said the renewal of the multinational forces' mandate was conditional on the repeal of what he called restrictions on Iraqi sovereignty introduced in 1990 by the U.N. Security Council to punish Iraq for invading neighboring Kuwait.
The new agreement would not signal an end to the U.S. mission here. But it could change the rules under which U.S. soldiers operate and give the Iraqis a greater role in determining their mission.
Two senior Iraqi officials familiar with the issue say Iraq's government will embrace a long-term U.S. troop presence in return for U.S. security guarantees as part of a strategic partnership. The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the subject is sensitive, said U.S. military and diplomatic representatives appeared generally favorable, subject to negotiations on the details, which include preferential treatment for American investments.
Preferential treatment for U.S. investors could provide a huge windfall if Iraq can achieve enough stability to exploit its vast oil resources. Such a deal would also enable the United States to maintain leverage against Iranian expansion at a time of growing fears about Tehran's nuclear aspirations.
The framework Mr. Bush approved outlines broad principles, such as that both countries will support Iraq's economic institutions, and help its government train Iraqi security forces to provide stability for all Iraqis. Lute said "all major national leaders of the existing Iraqi government" have committed to it.
"The basic message here should be clear: Iraq is increasingly able to stand on its own; that's very good news, but it won't have to stand alone," said Lute, who rarely holds televised briefings.
He said it is too soon to tell what the "shape and size" of the U.S. military commitment will look like, including military bases.
The Iraqi officials said that under the proposed formula, Iraq would get full responsibility for internal security and U.S. troops would relocate to bases outside the cities. Iraqi officials foresee a long-term presence of about 50,000 U.S. troops, down from the current figure of more than 160,000.
In other developments:
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 182 CommentsJust keep sending me money.
Love,
Al Maliki
"I can say that Iraqi forces will be ready, fully ready to receive this command and to command its own forces, and I can tell you that by next June our forces will be ready," al-Maliki said in an interview with ABC News.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,233178,00.html
Welcome to Korea II
Posted by gretagreen
Dear USA:
Just keep sending me money.
Love,
Al Maliki
Their reporting treats Al-Maliki as if he were validated Dictator.
That is how he has acted on this matter and on other matters - similar to how an appointed colonial governer might be expected to act.
My understanding is that the representatives elected to the Iraqi government are given the authority to decide this matter - not Maliki - and they have not done that.
In fact news reports from other sources indicate that a majority of the elected Iraqi representatives oppose extending the mandate for US occupation.
The real issue here is the incompetance or willful deceit of CBS reporting.
WWW.ZEITGEISTMOVIE.COM
Yup. How do you think a guy with his "credentials" and brainpower became President? Keep your eye on the missile defense system he has planned for
Europe(???). Let''s see who the contractors are. This is one of the, if not THE most flagrant abuses of presidential power in our history and Americans are just sitting there watching it happen.
So in other words, Junior thinks he can commit the lives of U.S. soldiers to die in Iraq for business interests into the next century?
His signature is worthless.
In that they mean until Jan 2009 when Dr. Ron Paul is sworn in as the next US president. That''s when he''ll sign the executive order pulling out all our troops and boarding up our Vatican-sized embassy in Baghdad.
Endless Republicon War
Pentagoons everywhere having multiple wargasms today...
Managed the 9/11 atrocity and coverup.
Lied his way into Iraq for his energy buddies.
Cut enormous deal for defense industry.
Retire.
I''m ashamed of all you sackless, feminine, candy-@sses that call yourselves American men. Act like men and quit cowtowing to the liberal left in this country. Women HATE when we act like sensetive wimps also. They like the bad-boy who is willing to go and fight for something not the punk sits and debates the merits of someone needing a good @ss whipping
Posted by rangerdahl
Unfortunately we do need the oil, right now. What we REALLY need is to make investments to find other sources of energy so oil companies won''t keep dictating our country''s current and future politicians and their screwed up priorities.
"The parliament today passed a binding resolution that will guarantee lawmakers an opportunity to block the extension of the U.N. mandate under which coalition troops now remain in Iraq when it comes up for renewal in December. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose cabinet is dominated by Iraqi separatists, may veto the measure.
The law requires the parliament''s approval of any future extensions of the mandate, which have previously been made by Iraq''s prime minister. It is an enormous development; lawmakers reached in Baghdad today said that they do in fact plan on blocking the extension of the coalition''s mandate when it comes up for renewal six months from now."
"It is one thing to take over a territory and then pour energy and resources into administering it and normalising it. Rightly or wrongly, that%u2019s what the British Empire did %u2013 in India, for example. It is another thing to go in on the assumption that a quick burst of violent action will somehow clear the decks and that you can move on and other people will put it back together %u2013 Iraq, for example.%u201D ---- Archbishop of Canterbury
Actually I''m pissed because this war was supposed to be about stopping Hussein''s Weapons of Mass Destruction, his support for Bin Laden, uranium cakes from Africa, centrifuge parts, mobile biolabs and rocket launchers, and all the other BS the Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld et al syndicate spewed to get us in there. Now I''m starting to hear, "oh get over it, that was 4 years ago!" These people assume there is a statute of limitations on lies. They assume that America is so jaded that no one has a long term memory. Well I''m an American with a long memory. I hate how our military was misused and abused for the benefit of a special interest group. I hate how he took advantage of Christians to get himself elected, saying whatever it took to identify with them. I hate how he keeps "deciding" policy to keep his plan on track no matter what the cost. And I hate, I really hate, how they are all going to get away with it, because there always will be jackasses like you justifying it all to themselves because they know they are too impotent to do anything about it.
Actually I''m pissed because this war was supposed to be about stopping Hussein''s Weapons of Mass Destruction, his support for Bin Laden, uranium cakes from Africa, centrifuge parts, mobile biolabs and rocket launchers, and all the other BS the Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld et al syndicate spewed to get us in there. Now I''m starting to hear, "oh get over it, that was 4 years ago!" These people assume there is a statute of limitations on lies. They assume that America is so jaded that no one has a long term memory. Well I''m an American with a long memory. I hate how our military was misused and abused for the benefit of a special interest group. I hate how he took advantage of Christians to get himself elected, saying whatever it took to identify with them. I hate how he keeps "deciding" policy to keep his plan on track no matter what the cost. And I hate, I really hate, how they are all going to get away with it, because there always will be jackasses like you justifying it all to themselves because they know they are too impotent to do anything about it.
j-whitman: The Archbishop is a Brit, not an American. He needs to butt out. Enough said.
Posted by rangerdahl at 04:51 PM : Nov 26, 2007
''Lighten up Francis''
Nothing else!
With the signing of a permanent US presence we are one step closer. Read and remember the history of the state of Hawaii!
Posted by rangerdahl at 05:11 PM : Nov 26, 2007,,,
It doesn''t matter, the U.S. has Congressional Foreign Relations Committees that "are" up to speed and that can education the rest of America on the official particulars. Committing U.S. assets and resources long term in a foreign nation should not be decided by one person. This is the United States of America not the Individual States of America!
Posted by rangerdahl at 04:51 PM : Nov 26, 2007
Posted by rangerdahl at 04:51 PM : Nov 26, 2007
Posted by starleo146 at 05:39 PM : Nov 26, 2007
+ report abuse
sorry my hand was quicker than my eye---Now rangerdahl my response to your statement is WHUUUT!!!! I am a woman and I do not want a bad boy as you say, I hope I am not in a place I have to have my man get up and whip someones arse as you say, good gracious what kind of women do you know.
Say what did you ever fight for soldat44? Just when did you say your tour of duty in Iraq is over!?
First of all our brave troops should have never been deployed to Iraq in the first place. We have 30,000+ dead or dismembered soldiers and one trillion dollars missing from the US treasury!! For what? What do we have to show for it except a useless embassy in Baghdad the size of a small city.
Pathetic right-wing-nuts!!
"Article 70:
The President of the Republic shall assume the following powers:
A. To issue a special pardon on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, except for anything concerning private claim and for those who have been convicted of committing international crimes, terrorism, and financial and administrative corruption.
B. To ratify international treaties and agreements after the approval by the Council of Representatives. Such international treaties and agreements are considered ratified after fifteen days from the date of receipt.
......."
What is happening is that Maliki is assuming dictatorial powers with the encouragement of the US and (sadly) the UN (security council).
CBS really should give their readers full information.
What a funny post - the poster is either out of touch with the majority of US citizens, or is baiting hatred. A fascist does not need popular support, just an unlimited budget and willing shills.
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