Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Al-Maliki rejects U.S. timetable for troop withdrawal
Politics, Security
(Middle East Online) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Tuesday rejected demands by the US Congress for a timetable to pull out US troops, saying the withdrawal should be based on the reality on the ground. Maliki said his government was working to improve security to make it possible for US and other foreign troops to leave. "We see no need for a withdrawal timetable because we are working as fast as we can," Maliki told a news conference on a visit to Tokyo.
"We feel what will govern the departure of the multinational forces are the achievements and victories we manage to obtain on the ground and not a timetable," he said. The US Democratic Party has pushed for a withdrawal date since seizing control of Congress from President George W. Bush's Republicans on the back of voter anger over the Iraq war. The House of Representatives and Senate have passed bills with different pullout deadlines -- August 31, 2008, and March 31, 2008, respectively -- but Bush has vowed to veto any date.
"We feel what will govern the departure of the multinational forces are the achievements and victories we manage to obtain on the ground and not a timetable," he said. The US Democratic Party has pushed for a withdrawal date since seizing control of Congress from President George W. Bush's Republicans on the back of voter anger over the Iraq war. The House of Representatives and Senate have passed bills with different pullout deadlines -- August 31, 2008, and March 31, 2008, respectively -- but Bush has vowed to veto any date.
Labels: Nouri Al-Maliki, U.S. troop withdrawal
