Iraq Wants Changes Made To Security Pact
Deal Would Allow U.S. Troops To Stay For 3 More Years; Cabinet Asks For Unspecified Revisions
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A U.S soldier cuts plastic handcuffs off an Iraqi detainee, in Baghdad's southern Dora neighborhood, on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
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Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the Cabinet decided amendments were needed to win "national acceptance" for the draft, which must be approved by parliament before the current U.N. mandate expires at the end of this year. Without a new agreement, there would be no legal basis for the U.S.-led military mission.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his ministers spent over five hours reviewing the draft agreement before deciding Tuesday to request changes, al-Dabbagh said. Their decision came two days after al-Maliki's own Shiite coalition expressed reservations about the accord, hammered out after months of intensive negotiations.
Al-Maliki aide Sami al-Askari said several members of the Shiite coalition wanted to remove language allowing the government to ask U.S. forces to stay beyond the end of 2011 and wanted clarification of some parts of the jurisdiction clause.
The agreement would call for U.S. troops to leave the cities by the end of June and withdraw from the country by Dec. 31, 2011 unless the government asked them to stay. The draft would also provide limited Iraqi jurisdiction over soldiers and contractors accused of major, premeditated crimes committed off post and off duty.
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told reporters last week that it would be difficult to reopen negotiations, which have gone on for most of this year.
But Al-Maliki wants his coalition Cabinet to sign off before sending it to parliament. Al-Maliki fears he could end up politically isolated if he pushes forward with the agreement without solid national backing.
Later Tuesday, Al-Dabbagh issued a brief statement saying the Cabinet also was "calling on everyone to view the agreement objectively and responsibly and to consider the public interest."
He was apparently referring to groups that have rejected the agreement outright, like the 30-member bloc in parliament loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
The Cabinet will meet again in a few days to consider the proposed changes and forward them to the Americans, the spokesman said. He refused to specify the changes or say when the Cabinet would meet again.
On Tuesday, the chairman of parliament's foreign affairs committee, Shiite cleric Humam Hmoudi, told reporters that there was broad agreement that parts of the draft needed changing.
"What they (the Americans) gave by their right hand, they took it away by the left," Hmoudi said. "They brought new conditions and limits such as in the article about leaving the cities. They are still agreed to leave by next June but added that this will be connected to the security situation on the ground."
He ruled out any chance that parliament would sign off on the deal before the Nov. 4 U.S. election.
Zebari agreed, telling Al-Arabiya television late Monday that "I don't think it would be possible" to win ratification by the time of the American election.
In other developments:
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Our ultimate goal is to setup a huge and permanent military base in the middle east, so the whole region can be constrolled and ruled as per our whims.
How dare the Iraqi puppet govt is trying to show their spine.
Posted by FrogProphet
Answer: Nothing. It is not an accident that we have 200,000 ground troops and 3 Carrier groups surrounding the Iranian border, which is much bigger than 1 base.
Posted by WatUsayBoy1
Breaking news... one candidate is named Barrack Hussein and you consider Sarah Palin to be ''dangerous''?
Get real.
Posted by bob5ford
And the rest of Florida says let it go!
Posted by checkthepast
Go Navy!
Why wouldnt we cooperate as much as possiable and turn over as much authority as humanly possiable and do what we can to accomodate their wishs as long as it does not place americans in danger needlessly.
It is time to do all we can to get out of this country.
Bush brought this upon us for no good real reason except to attempt to save face for his father who failed to get Sadam... Now Sadam is Dead and we need to get out.....
[Posted by checkthepast at 12:44 PM : Oct 21, 2008]
those 200k a bit busy right now ... and you''re right ... it''s not an accident ... it''s a screw up ... of historical proportions.
Get real.
Posted by checkthepast
That comment is moronic on so many levels that I won''t even bother to comment on it. Tool.
HELLO ? ? ?
3 years ? No way ! ! ! Get ready Iraq ! ! !
national acceptance? who the hell is running the show with our kids lives? It should be AMERICA. Grow a spine and tell IRAQ that we are going to take all their ******* oil if they don''t step it up a ton.
Posted by hillaryin012 at 02:01 PM : Oct 21, 2008
Oh for sure.
I always vote for someone I know who will or has voted against my Cost of Living Increases and my benefits.
America wants a change of direction in our White House. It''s Obama time.
Posted by prometheus41 at 03:46 PM : Oct 21, 2008
Didn''t "god" tell bush to invade Iraq in the first place?
Posted by hillaryin012 at 02:01 PM : Oct 21, 2008
Still spreading that lie, even though I''ve already quashed it?
lolll...so, it is useful on flat terrain with minimal vegetation.
If somebody has cover enough to fire on it, methinks it would be kind of hard to miss when landing, landed, or taking off.
Sombody''s lying.
Sombody''''s lying.
Posted by JoJo9357 at 05:00 PM : Oct 21, 2008
How so?
In February, Obama came out with his plan for a 16 month timetable.
Al Maliki said he agreed with it.
McCain said he agreed with Al Maliki.
A month later, bush is negotiating to get us out of Iraq by June 2009 - 16 months after Obama made his first comments!!!
Al-Maliki aide Sami al-Askari said several members of the Shiite coalition wanted to remove language allowing the government to ask U.S. forces to stay beyond the end of 2011 and wanted clarification of some parts of the jurisdiction clause.
The agreement would call for U.S. troops to leave the cities by the end of June and withdraw from the country by Dec. 31, 2011 unless the government asked them to stay.
2009--2011 somebody''s not got it right.
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Well, we had to slaughter a few hundred thousand of them in the process but, what the heck, sh*t happens!
Iraq with the Russians were the Saudis main competition in global Oil markets. 2.5 million barrels a day of Iraqi crude was sold cheap in world markets angering the Saudis and Big Oil. Iraq was one of seven countries on the administrations hit list. Taking out Iraq did take out the competition enabling Big Oil and the Saudis free reign to drive oil prices up.
The Russians are not to blame. Blame the PNAC.......
Paul Wolfowitz,Don Rumsfeld, Scooter Libby, George Bush, Richard Cheney, Eliot Cohen. Zalmay Khalilzad, Steve Forbes, Donald Kagan, Pete Rodman, Henry S Rowen, Dan Quale, William J.Bennett, Jeb Bush, they are all members of the PNAC Project for a New American Century.
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by samsel3
October 23, 2008 7:21 AM PDT
- The Times of India August 2007 reported : " Iran, Iraq signed an agreement to build pipelines for the transfer of Iraqi crude oil and oil products." Under the deal crude will be refined and sent back to Iraq. Bush opposed this agreement and wanted the Iraqi Parliment to accept and sign a U.S. designed oil law that would result in huge profits for BIG OIL.
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Reply to this comment
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See all 34 CommentsIraqi oil workers and 63% of Iraqis polled are opposed to the Bush law and prefer a hands off Iraq oil policy.
On January 26, 1998 in a letter to the President the PNAC asked Clinton to invade Iraq and get rid of Saddam Hussein.. Clinton refused their request.