Wednesday, October 10, 2007
U.S. lands Iraq 700,000 ton wheat deal
(ABC News) - The United States has cemented its position as Iraq's biggest wheat supplier, after locking in an export deal for 700,000 tonnes. Australia used to dominate the Iraq trade, but has struggled to sell any wheat there since the Oil-for-Food scandal involving AWB. Grain trader Brett Stevenson says it will be hard for Australia to regain any of the market."We would have every right to put our hand up as a government level and say we want to participate, the only problem with that is, is that the organisation that cause a major disfunction over there is still operating and still has a single desk over the 2007 crop," he says."And we're still entertaining a single desk for ongoing crops, and I just think while that's the case we're going to struggle."
Labels: Australia, Brett Stevenson, Iraq, U.S., wheat
Monday, September 10, 2007
Iranian diplomat hints at military intervention in Iraq
Region
(New York Times) - In a sharp escalation of a dispute over border fighting, an official Iranian delegation at a diplomatic conference here warned Sunday that if the Iraqi government could not stop militants from crossing into Iran and carrying out attacks, the Iranian authorities would respond militarily. The Iranian delegation, led by a deputy foreign minister, Mohammad R. Baqiri, also charged that the United States was supporting groups believed to be mounting attacks from Iraqi territory in the Kurdish north.
Mr. Baqiri did not specifically say that Iran would enter Iraq militarily, but his statements, couched in diplomatic terms, raised the clear possibility that Iranian forces could cross the border in pursuit of the militants. But however carefully phrased his statements, many of those distinctions are likely to be lost on hundreds of families on the Iraqi side who have been driven from their villages by weeks of intermittent shelling from Iran.
Hundreds of Kurds demonstrated Sunday against the shelling in the northern provincial capital of Erbil. They gathered outside the Kurdish Parliament building and asked that the northern government and the United Nations intervene. Senior Iranian officials have privately acknowledged to their Iraqi counterparts that the shelling is taking place in response to guerrilla attacks by a group opposed to the Iranian government that has bases on the Iraqi side of the border. At the conference on Sunday, at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, Mr. Baqiri did not directly address the shelling, but he told officials from 16 nations, the Arab League, the Islamic Conference and the United Nations that it was time for Iraq to take action.
“Supporting military and political actions by terrorist elements in Iraq against neighboring countries is considered dangerous behavior that we cannot tolerate, and a major factor in the chaotic security situation and instability in the region,” Mr. Baqiri told the assembled delegates, according to an Arabic translation of his remarks, which were made in Persian. “We are waiting for the Iraqi government to do what it takes to resolve this issue.”
Later, asked at a briefing about the shelling, Mr. Baqiri said that in dealing with “terrorists who want to enter Iranian soil,” the Iranian government “will confront them and stop them.” “We have a long history in standing against terrorist groups,” Mr. Baqiri said. “We have made many sacrifices because of this, and we know how to confront these groups.”
Mr. Baqiri’s comments are likely to raise tensions against the bloody backdrop of the Iran-Iraq war, which lasted throughout much of the 1980s and began with a border dispute in the south. Perhaps by design, his words seemed especially jarring because they were delivered during a conference organized to promote harmony in the region.
That conference was organized by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, led by Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd who fought Saddam Hussein’s government as a guerrilla commander, often operating essentially as an ally of Iran. But in a diplomatic meeting in Tehran last week, Mr. Zebari called the shelling indiscriminate and far out of proportion to the threat to Iran. On Sunday, Mr. Zebari acknowledged that the cross-border attacks were taking place, but described them as infrequent and more of a nuisance than a real threat. Still, Mr. Zebari agreed that it fell to the Iraqi government to rein in the groups.
“But at the same time we want this shelling to stop or end because it’s causing a great deal of unease, and we don’t want to see the atmosphere of confidence to be compromised by these continuing acts,” Mr. Zebari said.
The group that has claimed responsibility for the attacks, called Pezak or Pejak for its acronym, is believed to be made up mainly of Iranian Kurds seeking autonomy for Kurds in Iran. Asked specifically about that group, Mr. Baqiri stated publicly what Iranian officials have been claiming privately for months: that the United States supports the group.
This support, Mr. Baqiri said, amounted to a “double standard” in American policy, given that the United States has repeatedly accused Iran of exporting deadly roadside bombs to Iraq and supporting armed groups here. Those weapons and support, American officials believe, have led directly to the deaths of American and Iraqi troops and other security forces. Told late Sunday of Mr. Baqiri’s accusations, a Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington, said, “I am not aware of any support being provided” to Pejak.
Mr. Baqiri did not specifically say that Iran would enter Iraq militarily, but his statements, couched in diplomatic terms, raised the clear possibility that Iranian forces could cross the border in pursuit of the militants. But however carefully phrased his statements, many of those distinctions are likely to be lost on hundreds of families on the Iraqi side who have been driven from their villages by weeks of intermittent shelling from Iran.
Hundreds of Kurds demonstrated Sunday against the shelling in the northern provincial capital of Erbil. They gathered outside the Kurdish Parliament building and asked that the northern government and the United Nations intervene. Senior Iranian officials have privately acknowledged to their Iraqi counterparts that the shelling is taking place in response to guerrilla attacks by a group opposed to the Iranian government that has bases on the Iraqi side of the border. At the conference on Sunday, at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, Mr. Baqiri did not directly address the shelling, but he told officials from 16 nations, the Arab League, the Islamic Conference and the United Nations that it was time for Iraq to take action.
“Supporting military and political actions by terrorist elements in Iraq against neighboring countries is considered dangerous behavior that we cannot tolerate, and a major factor in the chaotic security situation and instability in the region,” Mr. Baqiri told the assembled delegates, according to an Arabic translation of his remarks, which were made in Persian. “We are waiting for the Iraqi government to do what it takes to resolve this issue.”
Later, asked at a briefing about the shelling, Mr. Baqiri said that in dealing with “terrorists who want to enter Iranian soil,” the Iranian government “will confront them and stop them.” “We have a long history in standing against terrorist groups,” Mr. Baqiri said. “We have made many sacrifices because of this, and we know how to confront these groups.”
Mr. Baqiri’s comments are likely to raise tensions against the bloody backdrop of the Iran-Iraq war, which lasted throughout much of the 1980s and began with a border dispute in the south. Perhaps by design, his words seemed especially jarring because they were delivered during a conference organized to promote harmony in the region.
That conference was organized by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, led by Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd who fought Saddam Hussein’s government as a guerrilla commander, often operating essentially as an ally of Iran. But in a diplomatic meeting in Tehran last week, Mr. Zebari called the shelling indiscriminate and far out of proportion to the threat to Iran. On Sunday, Mr. Zebari acknowledged that the cross-border attacks were taking place, but described them as infrequent and more of a nuisance than a real threat. Still, Mr. Zebari agreed that it fell to the Iraqi government to rein in the groups.
“But at the same time we want this shelling to stop or end because it’s causing a great deal of unease, and we don’t want to see the atmosphere of confidence to be compromised by these continuing acts,” Mr. Zebari said.
The group that has claimed responsibility for the attacks, called Pezak or Pejak for its acronym, is believed to be made up mainly of Iranian Kurds seeking autonomy for Kurds in Iran. Asked specifically about that group, Mr. Baqiri stated publicly what Iranian officials have been claiming privately for months: that the United States supports the group.
This support, Mr. Baqiri said, amounted to a “double standard” in American policy, given that the United States has repeatedly accused Iran of exporting deadly roadside bombs to Iraq and supporting armed groups here. Those weapons and support, American officials believe, have led directly to the deaths of American and Iraqi troops and other security forces. Told late Sunday of Mr. Baqiri’s accusations, a Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington, said, “I am not aware of any support being provided” to Pejak.
Labels: Hoshyar Zibari, Iran, Kurdistan, Mohammad R. Baqiri, Pejak, U.S.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
U.S. to support Iraqi refugees with $30 mn. education grant
Education
(AP) -- The top U.S. envoy on refugees announced Tuesday that the United States will increase its support to countries hosting Iraqi refugees with a $30 million grant for education. Assistant Secretary of State Ellen Sauerbrey said the money will help pay for schooling in countries like Jordan, where tens of thousands of young Iraqis recently began attending government schools.
Jordan and Syria host the largest percentage of the more than 2 million Iraqis who have been displaced by the war and they have complained of the increasing burden on their health and education systems. Smaller numbers of Iraqis have fled to Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey. The grant will go toward a recent joint appeal by the U.N. refugee agency and UNICEF for international donors to provide $129 million that would pay for educating 155,000 Iraqi children in Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.
In Damascus, the German development minister, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, announced that her government would give $5.4 million to help Syria cope with the Iraqi refugees it hosts. This month, more than 40,000 Iraqi children went to school in Jordan for the first time since they fled their homeland, amid concerns about the system being overburdened. Education Minister Khaled Touqan said more classrooms and possibly new schools would be needed.
In the past, Iraqi children could attend Jordanian public schools only if a family had a residency permit or paid fees - a serious strain on the finances of the largely unemployed Iraqi refugees. Sauerbrey told reporters the United States expected to allow in some 2,000 Iraqi refugees by the end of September, but ruled out taking in large numbers.
While Washington has a "moral obligation" to aid refugees "in danger because of their affiliation with U.S. forces," she said it also had an obligation to "provide the assistance necessary to help people continue to be in the region for when the day comes that Iraq is a stable country and people will have a home to return to."
The United States has been criticized by some people for accepting so few Iraqi refugees. Only 57 settled in the U.S. last month, bringing the total over the last year to 190. This month it expects to take in 400 Iraqis.
Jordan and Syria host the largest percentage of the more than 2 million Iraqis who have been displaced by the war and they have complained of the increasing burden on their health and education systems. Smaller numbers of Iraqis have fled to Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey. The grant will go toward a recent joint appeal by the U.N. refugee agency and UNICEF for international donors to provide $129 million that would pay for educating 155,000 Iraqi children in Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.
In Damascus, the German development minister, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, announced that her government would give $5.4 million to help Syria cope with the Iraqi refugees it hosts. This month, more than 40,000 Iraqi children went to school in Jordan for the first time since they fled their homeland, amid concerns about the system being overburdened. Education Minister Khaled Touqan said more classrooms and possibly new schools would be needed.
In the past, Iraqi children could attend Jordanian public schools only if a family had a residency permit or paid fees - a serious strain on the finances of the largely unemployed Iraqi refugees. Sauerbrey told reporters the United States expected to allow in some 2,000 Iraqi refugees by the end of September, but ruled out taking in large numbers.
While Washington has a "moral obligation" to aid refugees "in danger because of their affiliation with U.S. forces," she said it also had an obligation to "provide the assistance necessary to help people continue to be in the region for when the day comes that Iraq is a stable country and people will have a home to return to."
The United States has been criticized by some people for accepting so few Iraqi refugees. Only 57 settled in the U.S. last month, bringing the total over the last year to 190. This month it expects to take in 400 Iraqis.
Labels: education grants, Ellen Sauerbrey, Jordan, refugees, Syria, U.N., U.S.
Ahmadinejad says Iran is ready to fill power vacuum in Iraq
Region, Politics
(Gulf News) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared on Tuesday that US political influence in Iraq is "collapsing rapidly" and said his government is ready to help fill any power vacuum. The hard-line leader also defended Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, a fellow Shiite Muslim who has been harshly criticised by American politicians for his unsuccessful efforts to reconcile Iraq's Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.
"The political power of the occupiers is collapsing rapidly," Ahmadinejad said at a news conference, referring to US troops in Iraq. "Soon, we will see a huge power vacuum in the region. Of course, we are prepared to fill the gap, with the help of neighbors and regional friends like Saudi Arabia, and with the help of the Iraqi nation."
Ahmadinejad did not elaborate on his remarks, an unusual declaration of Iran's interest in influencing its neighbor's future. The mention of a Saudi role appeared aimed at allaying the fears of Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Muslim nations that Iran wants to dominate in Iraq. Even though Saudi Arabia and Iran have not cooperated in the past, it "doesn't mean it can't happen," Ahmadinejad said.
Iran fought a brutal eight-year war with Saddam Hussein's regime and welcomed the elimination of a deeply hated enemy. But Iran also strongly objects to the presence of America, another rival, over its eastern and western borders in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Occupation is the root of all problems in Iraq," Ahmadinejad said. "It has become clear that occupiers are not able to resolve regional issues. They rudely say (the Iraqi) prime minister and the constitution must change," Ahmadinejad said of US critics. "Who are you? Who has given you the right" to ask for such a change, he added.
Ousting Al Maliki, a longtime Shiite political activist, would require a majority vote in the 275-member Iraqi parliament. As long as the Kurdish parties and the main Shiite bloc back al-Maliki, his opponents lack the votes for that. Ahmadinejad dismissed the possibility of any US military action against Iran, saying Washington has no plan and is not in a position to take such action.
"The political power of the occupiers is collapsing rapidly," Ahmadinejad said at a news conference, referring to US troops in Iraq. "Soon, we will see a huge power vacuum in the region. Of course, we are prepared to fill the gap, with the help of neighbors and regional friends like Saudi Arabia, and with the help of the Iraqi nation."
Ahmadinejad did not elaborate on his remarks, an unusual declaration of Iran's interest in influencing its neighbor's future. The mention of a Saudi role appeared aimed at allaying the fears of Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Muslim nations that Iran wants to dominate in Iraq. Even though Saudi Arabia and Iran have not cooperated in the past, it "doesn't mean it can't happen," Ahmadinejad said.
Iran fought a brutal eight-year war with Saddam Hussein's regime and welcomed the elimination of a deeply hated enemy. But Iran also strongly objects to the presence of America, another rival, over its eastern and western borders in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Occupation is the root of all problems in Iraq," Ahmadinejad said. "It has become clear that occupiers are not able to resolve regional issues. They rudely say (the Iraqi) prime minister and the constitution must change," Ahmadinejad said of US critics. "Who are you? Who has given you the right" to ask for such a change, he added.
Ousting Al Maliki, a longtime Shiite political activist, would require a majority vote in the 275-member Iraqi parliament. As long as the Kurdish parties and the main Shiite bloc back al-Maliki, his opponents lack the votes for that. Ahmadinejad dismissed the possibility of any US military action against Iran, saying Washington has no plan and is not in a position to take such action.
Labels: Iran, Iraq, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Nouri Al-Maliki, Saudi Arabia, U.S.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Top Sunni cleric calls on U.S. to cut ties with Maliki
Politics
(Reuters) - Iraq's top Sunni cleric called on the United States yesterday to cut ties with Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, saying his ‘puppet' government had failed and a US backed political process was at a dead end. "If the Americans remain with this policy and rely on the same men who proved their failure again and again then they will leave Iraq in failure," Shaikh Harith Al Dari said.
"The US administration should rectify its position in Iraq and stop depending on puppets... who have proven their failure," the leader of Iraq's Muslim Clerics Association said in an interview in Amman. Al Maliki's unity government, set up to try to ease sectarian tensions and quell violence, has been in crisis since the main Sunni Arab bloc quit early this month and he wants political leaders to meet in coming days to resolve the deadlock.
Al Dari, whose association groups Iraq's Sunni religious leaders, said Washington had brought untold suffering on Iraq's people during its four-year-old occupation and it should now try to foster a non-partisan government. The cleric, who has praised Sunni insurgent groups but denies direct links, said Washington also needed to rebuild the army on non-sectarian grounds.
Soon after the 2003 overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussain, a Sunni, the US administration dissolved the army and security forces, sacking hundreds of thousands of soldiers and further embittering Sunnis. "If the Americans think of a new type of rule that relies on wisdom and firmness alongside power to impose security... they can pull out of Iraq with a face saver," he said.
"This is better for America than dealing with a weak government... It would guarantee them a future government that respects them as friends... rather than one that is a burden and survives on American taxpayers' money," Al Dari said.
"The US administration should rectify its position in Iraq and stop depending on puppets... who have proven their failure," the leader of Iraq's Muslim Clerics Association said in an interview in Amman. Al Maliki's unity government, set up to try to ease sectarian tensions and quell violence, has been in crisis since the main Sunni Arab bloc quit early this month and he wants political leaders to meet in coming days to resolve the deadlock.
Al Dari, whose association groups Iraq's Sunni religious leaders, said Washington had brought untold suffering on Iraq's people during its four-year-old occupation and it should now try to foster a non-partisan government. The cleric, who has praised Sunni insurgent groups but denies direct links, said Washington also needed to rebuild the army on non-sectarian grounds.
Soon after the 2003 overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussain, a Sunni, the US administration dissolved the army and security forces, sacking hundreds of thousands of soldiers and further embittering Sunnis. "If the Americans think of a new type of rule that relies on wisdom and firmness alongside power to impose security... they can pull out of Iraq with a face saver," he said.
"This is better for America than dealing with a weak government... It would guarantee them a future government that respects them as friends... rather than one that is a burden and survives on American taxpayers' money," Al Dari said.
Labels: Iraq's Muslim Clerics Association, Nouri Al-Maliki, Shaikh Harith Al Dari, U.S.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
International meeting on Iraq's security in Syria
Regional
(Reuters) -- Syria will host an international security meeting on Iraq on Wednesday although the United States doubts Damascus is willing to play a role in stopping violence in its eastern neighbour. The two-day meeting will be held in a government complex on the outskirts of Damascus. Officials from Iraq, the United States, Britain, Iran, Turkey and Jordan will attend, a Syrian official said.
'Washington is making a gesture towards Syria by attending the meeting in Damascus,' a Syrian official told Reuters. U.S. officials held security talks in Baghdad this week with Syria's ally Iran. After a visit to Damascus last month by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syria said explicitly for the first time it supports the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.
One delegate said the meeting would focus on ways to control the 360-km (225 mile) border between Syria and Iraq and dismantling alleged Iraqi Baathist networks in Syria. 'With all the talk of Syria as a transit route for rebels, it makes sense to hold the meeting here. This is a chance for Damascus to show it can cooperate and talk with U.S. officials. The two sides rarely meet,' the delegate said.
'A mechanism should also emerge for the Iraqis and Syrians to cooperate regularly on controlling the border,' he said. Washington says Syria is allowing fighters and weapons into Iraq. Damascus denies this and says ending instability in Iraq and achieving an 'honourable withdrawal' for U.S. forces is in its national interest.
A diplomat in the Syrian capital said Damascus had kept its policy on Iraq vague in the absence of a U.S. promise to give Syria something in return for its cooperation, such as an easing of American sanctions that were imposed on Syria in 2004, or pressure on Israel to withdraw from the Syrian Golan Heights. 'So far Syria has been playing both hands. It puts out the right statements but does not move substantially on the ground,' the diplomat said.
Syria fiercely opposed the American-led invasion of 2003 that removed Saddam Hussein from power and brought sectarian tensions to the surface. It has since hosted an estimated 1.4 million Iraqi refugees who have fled Iraq. It also hosts a large number of former operatives from Saddam's security forces whom the U.S.-backed Iraqi government accuses of having links with the rebels.
The Damascus meeting is a follow-up to a conference in Egypt in May in which senior U.S. and Syrian officials met each other for the first time in two years. Another follow-up meeting in Amman dealt with the refugee problem.
Although the Damascus meeting will focus on Iraq's security concerns, Turkey is expected to raise the issue of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebel separatists who use Iraqi Kurdistan as a base. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki visited Turkey on Tuesday for talks on dealing with the PKK.
'Washington is making a gesture towards Syria by attending the meeting in Damascus,' a Syrian official told Reuters. U.S. officials held security talks in Baghdad this week with Syria's ally Iran. After a visit to Damascus last month by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syria said explicitly for the first time it supports the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.
One delegate said the meeting would focus on ways to control the 360-km (225 mile) border between Syria and Iraq and dismantling alleged Iraqi Baathist networks in Syria. 'With all the talk of Syria as a transit route for rebels, it makes sense to hold the meeting here. This is a chance for Damascus to show it can cooperate and talk with U.S. officials. The two sides rarely meet,' the delegate said.
'A mechanism should also emerge for the Iraqis and Syrians to cooperate regularly on controlling the border,' he said. Washington says Syria is allowing fighters and weapons into Iraq. Damascus denies this and says ending instability in Iraq and achieving an 'honourable withdrawal' for U.S. forces is in its national interest.
A diplomat in the Syrian capital said Damascus had kept its policy on Iraq vague in the absence of a U.S. promise to give Syria something in return for its cooperation, such as an easing of American sanctions that were imposed on Syria in 2004, or pressure on Israel to withdraw from the Syrian Golan Heights. 'So far Syria has been playing both hands. It puts out the right statements but does not move substantially on the ground,' the diplomat said.
Syria fiercely opposed the American-led invasion of 2003 that removed Saddam Hussein from power and brought sectarian tensions to the surface. It has since hosted an estimated 1.4 million Iraqi refugees who have fled Iraq. It also hosts a large number of former operatives from Saddam's security forces whom the U.S.-backed Iraqi government accuses of having links with the rebels.
The Damascus meeting is a follow-up to a conference in Egypt in May in which senior U.S. and Syrian officials met each other for the first time in two years. Another follow-up meeting in Amman dealt with the refugee problem.
Although the Damascus meeting will focus on Iraq's security concerns, Turkey is expected to raise the issue of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebel separatists who use Iraqi Kurdistan as a base. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki visited Turkey on Tuesday for talks on dealing with the PKK.
Labels: Baathists, border security, Britian, Golan Heights, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, PKK, security meeting, Syria, Turkey, U.S.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Tripartite security talks to begin in Baghdad
Regional
(RFE/RL) - Experts from Iraq, the United States, and Iran will reportedly meet today in Baghdad to follow up on two previous senior-level meetings concerning security in Iraq. AFP quoted an unnamed U.S. Embassy official as suggesting it is an "Iraqi-led" meeting of "experts" at which "only security will be discussed." The Iranian news agency ISNA quoted Tehran's ambassador to Iraq, Hasan Kazemi-Qomi, as saying talks today will focus on the composition and mandate of a tripartite security committee.
Meanwhile today, at least 25 people were killed and 20 others injured in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar when a suicide truck bomber struck a crowded Shi'ite neighborhood. A complete curfew was imposed on the city after the attack, which also destroyed nearby homes. In a southern suburb of Baghdad, a roadside bomb reportedly killed nine Iraqis and wounded others at a minibus stop. Both bombings hit during morning rush hour.
Labels: Iran, suicide truck bomber, Tal Afar, tripartite security committee, U.S.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Pentagon confirms it is working with Turkey to stop PKK
Region
(The Guardian) - The Pentagon confirmed yesterday that it is working closely with the Turkish government to stop Kurdish guerrillas operating from bases in northern Iraq. But it refused to comment on a report that the US is planning a covert operation to send special forces into action to try to neutralise the leadership of the Kurdistan Workers party (PKK), which has been mounting attacks inside Turkey.
The US is trying to persuade the Turkish army against taking matters into its own hands by invading northern Iraq, where the Kurds have established an autonomous region. Washington, faced with a myriad of problems in Iraq, does not need a new front opening up in the country.
Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, would neither confirm nor deny that a covert operation was being planned. But he said yesterday: "We recognise that the PKK is a serious problem and we're working closely with both the government of Iraq and the government of Turkey to resolve this."
In the Washington Post, the veteran columnist Robert Novak, disclosed that Eric Edelman, an undersecretary of defence and former ambassador to Turkey, told selected congressmen in private last week about the planned covert operation. The administration is required by law to inform Congress of any such operations.
Novak wrote the US forces would "behead the guerrilla organisation by helping Turkey get rid of PKK leaders that they have targeted for years". The PKK has been fighting for the breakaway from Turkey of the large Kurdish population in the east of the country. Some of the members of Congress informed were alarmed by the development at a time when they are working to find ways of stabilising Iraq and withdrawing US forces.
Two weeks ago, the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, threatened a military incursion inside the Iraqi Kurdish area. This followed a build-up of Turkish forces along the Iraqi border. The 250,000-strong Turkish force on the border is confronting an estimated 4,000 PKK fighters.
The US is trying to persuade the Turkish army against taking matters into its own hands by invading northern Iraq, where the Kurds have established an autonomous region. Washington, faced with a myriad of problems in Iraq, does not need a new front opening up in the country.
Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, would neither confirm nor deny that a covert operation was being planned. But he said yesterday: "We recognise that the PKK is a serious problem and we're working closely with both the government of Iraq and the government of Turkey to resolve this."
In the Washington Post, the veteran columnist Robert Novak, disclosed that Eric Edelman, an undersecretary of defence and former ambassador to Turkey, told selected congressmen in private last week about the planned covert operation. The administration is required by law to inform Congress of any such operations.
Novak wrote the US forces would "behead the guerrilla organisation by helping Turkey get rid of PKK leaders that they have targeted for years". The PKK has been fighting for the breakaway from Turkey of the large Kurdish population in the east of the country. Some of the members of Congress informed were alarmed by the development at a time when they are working to find ways of stabilising Iraq and withdrawing US forces.
Two weeks ago, the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, threatened a military incursion inside the Iraqi Kurdish area. This followed a build-up of Turkish forces along the Iraqi border. The 250,000-strong Turkish force on the border is confronting an estimated 4,000 PKK fighters.
Labels: Bryan Whitman, Pentagon, PKK, Turkey, U.S.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Iran ready for higher-level talks with U.S.
International
(Reuters) - U.S. and Iraqi officials began work on Wednesday on setting up a security panel with Iran to try to end Iraq's bloodshed, and Tehran said it was open to higher-level talks with Washington. The work began one day after envoys from arch foes Iran and the United States met for a second time this year to discuss security in Iraq.
U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker had bluntly accused Tehran on Tuesday of stepping up its support for Iraqi militias in the two months since the first round of talks. Sectarian violence and worsening chaos in Iraq has pushed the United States and Iran, which have not had diplomatic ties since shortly after Iran's 1979 revolution, to seek common ground, with Iraq asking both for help.
But the two rounds of talks have produced few concrete steps apart from Tuesday's agreement to establish a trilateral security committee to investigate issues such as support for militias and al Qaeda in Iraq. U.S. political and military representatives in Baghdad were working on how to set up the committee and areas which it would investigate after Tuesday's talks.
"They'll talk to the Iraqis, who will then talk to the Iranians and we'll see how we proceed from there," a U.S. embassy spokesman said. Washington accuses Shi'ite Muslim Iran of fomenting violence in Iraq. Iran denies the charge and blames the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003 for the bloodshed between Iraq's majority Shi'ite and minority Sunni Arabs.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted on Wednesday as saying that Iran was ready for higher-level talks with Washington if asked. "It can be considered if Iran receives a formal request from America," Mottaki said. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency also quoted Mottaki as rejecting the accusations that Tehran backed Iraqi militants, saying the Americans were "trying to run away from their own mistakes."
U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker had bluntly accused Tehran on Tuesday of stepping up its support for Iraqi militias in the two months since the first round of talks. Sectarian violence and worsening chaos in Iraq has pushed the United States and Iran, which have not had diplomatic ties since shortly after Iran's 1979 revolution, to seek common ground, with Iraq asking both for help.
But the two rounds of talks have produced few concrete steps apart from Tuesday's agreement to establish a trilateral security committee to investigate issues such as support for militias and al Qaeda in Iraq. U.S. political and military representatives in Baghdad were working on how to set up the committee and areas which it would investigate after Tuesday's talks.
"They'll talk to the Iraqis, who will then talk to the Iranians and we'll see how we proceed from there," a U.S. embassy spokesman said. Washington accuses Shi'ite Muslim Iran of fomenting violence in Iraq. Iran denies the charge and blames the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003 for the bloodshed between Iraq's majority Shi'ite and minority Sunni Arabs.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted on Wednesday as saying that Iran was ready for higher-level talks with Washington if asked. "It can be considered if Iran receives a formal request from America," Mottaki said. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency also quoted Mottaki as rejecting the accusations that Tehran backed Iraqi militants, saying the Americans were "trying to run away from their own mistakes."
Labels: Fars news agency, Iran, Iraq, Manouchehr Mottaki, Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Iran, Iraq, U.S. to set up security subcommittee
Security
(AP) - The United States, Iran and Iraq have agreed to set up a security subcommittee to carry forward talks on restoring stability in Iraq, the U.S. envoy said Tuesday at the end of a second round of groundbreaking talks with his Iranian counterpart.
"We discussed ways forward, and one of the issues we discussed was the formation of a security subcommittee that would address at a expert or technical level some issues relating to security, be that support for violent militias, al-Qaida or border security," Ambassador Ryan Crocker said after the meeting that included lunch and spanned nearly seven hours.
"We discussed ways forward, and one of the issues we discussed was the formation of a security subcommittee that would address at a expert or technical level some issues relating to security, be that support for violent militias, al-Qaida or border security," Ambassador Ryan Crocker said after the meeting that included lunch and spanned nearly seven hours.
Labels: Iran, Iraq, Ryan Crocker, security subcommittee, U.S.
Iranian, U.S. officials meet for security talks on Iraq
International
(RFE/RL) - U.S. and Iranian officials met in Baghdad on July 24 for a second round of talks aimed at supporting the Iraqi government, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq reported. The meeting, hosted by the Iraqi government, was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and his Iranian counterpart, Hasan Kazemi-Qomi.
Iraqi state-television channel Al-Iraqiyah cited Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's address to the two sides at the start of the talks. Al-Maliki reportedly told both sides Iraq is keen on good relations with all parties. He added that Iraq does not want to interfere in the affairs of others, just as it does not want others to interfere in Iraq's internal affairs.
Meanwhile, an Iraqi source attending the meeting told AP that an argument broke out early on between Crocker and Qomi after the U.S. ambassador claimed Iran is training and supplying Shi'ite militiamen to target coalition forces. Qomi reportedly responded by saying the United States has no proof to back up the claim. Iranian sources have said the status of five Iranian diplomats detained by U.S. forces in Iraq since January will also be high on the meeting's agenda.
Labels: Hasan Kazemi Qomi, Iran, Iranian detainees, Ryan Crocker, Shia militias, U.S.
U.S. offers fellowships for threatened scholars from Iraq
(Iraq Scholar Rescue Project) - The Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) has received special funding for the Iraq Scholar Rescue Project to provide fellowships to scholars in Iraq whose lives and work are threatened. The Fund is currently seeking applications from suitable candidates and/or candidate referrals.
Academics, established researchers, and professors from Iraq in any field or discipline may qualify. Preference will be given to scholars with a Ph.D. or other highest degree in their field; who have been employed in scholarly activities at a university, college or other institution of higher learning during the last four years (excluding displacement or prohibition); who demonstrate superior academic accomplishment or promise; and whose selection is likely to benefit the academic community in Iraq and/or host country or region. Applications from female scholars are encouraged.
Fellowship recipients will be expected to resume their teaching, lecturing, research, writing and publishing at a host academic institution. Fellowship recipients will also be expected to participate in the Fund's efforts to continue the education of Iraqi students, both within and outside of Iraq.
The host institution will be determined based on the qualifications of the fellowship recipient. Candidates are encouraged to contact universities or institutions who may potentially act as host for the fellowship. Placement within the Middle East and North Africa region will be encouraged.
Fellowships will be awarded for visiting academic positions of up to two years. A living stipend and relocation expenses for scholars and their families will be included in the fellowship. To apply for a fellowship or to learn more, please send an email to: SRFIraq@iie.org . Kindly include SRF Iraq Project in the subject line of your message. For universities and colleges interested in potentially hosting an SRF Iraq fellow, please also contact SRFIraq@iie.org.
Contact: IIE Scholar Rescue Fund Fellowships: 809 U.N. Plaza, Second Floor, New York, New York 10017, SRFIraq@iie.org Web: www.iie.org/SRF
Labels: academics, Association of Muslim Scholars of Iraq, fellowships, Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund, Iraq, Iraq Scholar Rescue Project, U.S.
Monday, July 23, 2007
U.S. ambassador in Iraq calls for Iraqi employees to be granted asylum status
Humanitarian
(The Guardian) - The United States ambassador in Iraq, Ryan Cocker, has called for all Iraqis working for the US government to be granted refugee status in recognition of the dangers they face. Mr Cocker warned in a cable obtained by the Washington Post that unless Iraqi employees were given hope of finding safe haven in America they would quit, weakening the ability of the Bush administration to make an impact in Iraq.
He said that Iraqis in US government employment "work under extremely difficult conditions, and are targets for violence including murder and kidnapping. Unless they know that there is some hope of a [visa] in future, many will continue to seek asylum, leaving our mission lacking in one of our most valuable assets".
The US government and its main coalition partner in Iraq, Britain, have both been criticised by human rights and refugee organisations for failing to allow significant numbers of Iraqi asylum seekers into their countries. The US has admitted 825 Iraqis since the invasion in 2003.
He said that Iraqis in US government employment "work under extremely difficult conditions, and are targets for violence including murder and kidnapping. Unless they know that there is some hope of a [visa] in future, many will continue to seek asylum, leaving our mission lacking in one of our most valuable assets".
The US government and its main coalition partner in Iraq, Britain, have both been criticised by human rights and refugee organisations for failing to allow significant numbers of Iraqi asylum seekers into their countries. The US has admitted 825 Iraqis since the invasion in 2003.
Labels: asylum, Iraqi employees, refugee status, Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
U.S. warns Turkey against attacking northern Iraq
Security, Region
(AFP) - The US military warned Turkey Tuesday against destabilizing northern Iraq by carrying out a threatened cross-border raid on Kurdish rebels. The US armed forces have a "great relationship with the military of Turkey," said Brigadier General Perry Wiggins, deputy director for operations of the Pentagon's Joint Staff.
But he cautioned: "As the secretary of defense (Robert Gates) has said, any disruption up in northern Iraq would not be helpful at this time." Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Friday his country had drawn up plans for an eventual incursion into neighboring northern Iraq to pursue rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) taking refuge there.
Gul warned that Turkey would activate its plans if the Iraqi authorities or the United States failed to curb the PKK, which is listed as a terror organization by both Ankara and Washington. "Unfortunately, the level of cooperation by the United States is below our expectations," he said in remarks published by the Radikal daily.
Army chief Yasar Buyukanit has long been calling for a strike against PKK rebels based in Kurdish-run northern Iraq where, Turkey says, the PKK enjoys free movement and obtains arms and explosives for attacks on its soil. But US officials, fearful of havoc in the only part of Iraq that has enjoyed relative calm, are anxious to forestall any Turkish intervention.
"We hope there is no unilateral military action taken on the other side of the Iraqi border," Gates said on June 3. On June 18, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice assured Ankara that the United States and Iraq were against any "terrorist" actions conducted from Iraqi territory against Turkey.
But he cautioned: "As the secretary of defense (Robert Gates) has said, any disruption up in northern Iraq would not be helpful at this time." Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Friday his country had drawn up plans for an eventual incursion into neighboring northern Iraq to pursue rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) taking refuge there.
Gul warned that Turkey would activate its plans if the Iraqi authorities or the United States failed to curb the PKK, which is listed as a terror organization by both Ankara and Washington. "Unfortunately, the level of cooperation by the United States is below our expectations," he said in remarks published by the Radikal daily.
Army chief Yasar Buyukanit has long been calling for a strike against PKK rebels based in Kurdish-run northern Iraq where, Turkey says, the PKK enjoys free movement and obtains arms and explosives for attacks on its soil. But US officials, fearful of havoc in the only part of Iraq that has enjoyed relative calm, are anxious to forestall any Turkish intervention.
"We hope there is no unilateral military action taken on the other side of the Iraqi border," Gates said on June 3. On June 18, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice assured Ankara that the United States and Iraq were against any "terrorist" actions conducted from Iraqi territory against Turkey.
Labels: Abdullah Gul, Brigadier General Perry Wiggins, Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, PKK, Robert Gates, Turkey, U.S.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Zebari presses for second round of Iran-U.S., talks while Iranians are granted access to detainees
Politics, Region
(Al Jazeera) - Hoshiyar Zebari, Iraq's foreign minister, said he was pressing the US and Iran to hold a second round of talks in Baghdad to follow up a landmark meeting in May, but that no date has been set. Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador to Iraq, and Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, his Iranian counterpart, met in Baghdad on May 28 to discuss security in Iraq in what was the most high-profile meeting of the two arch enemies in almost three decades.
Both envoys described the talks as positive. Iraq has invited both sides to meet again but neither have publicly said they would accept. Zebari said: "We felt that there is a common interest in pursuing these talks, in having a second meeting, but no date has been agreed yet. "We are working on that. There would be a second round, I hope so."
Zebari also said on Sunday that the US embassy in Baghdad had agreed to give Iran consular access to five Iranians who were detained by US forces in northern Iraq in January. The US military says the five are linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards and are backing fighters in Iraq. Iran says they are diplomats and has been requesting access to them.
Zebari said he hoped the consular visit to the detainees, who were taken seized in the Kurdish city of Arbil, would help ease tensions. There was no date for the visit, but it could happen any time, he said. The foreign minister said he understood a US military board would not review the case of the five men until October.
Both envoys described the talks as positive. Iraq has invited both sides to meet again but neither have publicly said they would accept. Zebari said: "We felt that there is a common interest in pursuing these talks, in having a second meeting, but no date has been agreed yet. "We are working on that. There would be a second round, I hope so."
Zebari also said on Sunday that the US embassy in Baghdad had agreed to give Iran consular access to five Iranians who were detained by US forces in northern Iraq in January. The US military says the five are linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards and are backing fighters in Iraq. Iran says they are diplomats and has been requesting access to them.
Zebari said he hoped the consular visit to the detainees, who were taken seized in the Kurdish city of Arbil, would help ease tensions. There was no date for the visit, but it could happen any time, he said. The foreign minister said he understood a US military board would not review the case of the five men until October.
Labels: consular access, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, Hoshiyar Zebari, Iran, Iranian detainees, Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Ayatollah Khamenei accuses U.S. of damaging Iran-Iraq relations
Iran, U.S. Iraq
(AP) -- Iran's supreme leader accused the United States of damaging relations between Iran and Iraq and charged that American and Israeli agents were behind the Iraqi insurgency, state-run Iranian television said Tuesday. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told visiting Iraqi President Jalal Talabani that "Americans have been opposing improvement in relations between Iran and Iraq and they are trying to damage the relations ... but the two countries should resist the damage," the report said.
Khamenei, who has final say in Iran's state affairs, also blamed U.S. and Israeli intelligence services for the violent insurgency that wracks neighboring Iraq, the report said. It quoted Talabani as saying Iraq would pursue better ties with Iran. Deputy Iranian Foreign Minister Mehdi Mostafavi earlier said a new round of U.S.-Iran talks on Iraqi security would be discussed during Talabani's visit.
Since the first round of talks in Baghdad in May last month, tensions have risen between Iran and the United States over Tehran's detention of four Iranian-American scholars and activists charged with endangering national security. Iran already had been angered by the January detention of five Iranian officials by U.S. troops in Iraq and warned that Washington would "regret" the move.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said this month, however, that Iran would respond to an invitation for continued talks with the U.S. "with a positive point of view." Iran considers U.S. troops in Iraq a threat to Iran's security and has demanded they leave. Washington accuses Iran of arming and financing Shiite Muslim militias fighting American and Iraqi troops.
Khamenei, who has final say in Iran's state affairs, also blamed U.S. and Israeli intelligence services for the violent insurgency that wracks neighboring Iraq, the report said. It quoted Talabani as saying Iraq would pursue better ties with Iran. Deputy Iranian Foreign Minister Mehdi Mostafavi earlier said a new round of U.S.-Iran talks on Iraqi security would be discussed during Talabani's visit.
Since the first round of talks in Baghdad in May last month, tensions have risen between Iran and the United States over Tehran's detention of four Iranian-American scholars and activists charged with endangering national security. Iran already had been angered by the January detention of five Iranian officials by U.S. troops in Iraq and warned that Washington would "regret" the move.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said this month, however, that Iran would respond to an invitation for continued talks with the U.S. "with a positive point of view." Iran considers U.S. troops in Iraq a threat to Iran's security and has demanded they leave. Washington accuses Iran of arming and financing Shiite Muslim militias fighting American and Iraqi troops.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran, Iraq, Jalal Talabani, Mehdi Mostafavi, U.S.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Al-Hakim says Iran-U.S. talks "national wish"
Politics, Security, Region
(RFE/RL) - Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim, the head of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, told ISNA in Tehran on June 18 that more talks between Iran and the United States about Iraqi security "have turned into a national wish," and "everyone appreciates" the impact such talks would have in improving Iraqi security. He admitted, however, that it is difficult to say whether earlier talks have had "practical and palpable effects." He said U.S. forces should hand over "command and security operations" to Iraqi forces. "We believe security should be assured by the Iraqis themselves," with backing from coalition troops, he said.
Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said in Tehran on June 18 that Iran has examined "word for word" the first set of Iran-U.S. talks -- held in Baghdad on May 28 -- and could not see any "clear plan that would lead to the Americans coming out of present conditions," ISNA reported, citing Mottaki's interview with Iran's Al-Aalam network.
Iran has urged the United States to change its security policies and leave Iraq. Mottaki said Iran has clear positions on various regional political issues, and its differences with the United States can be resolved through diplomacy. He said Iran does not believe the United States can "impose another crisis on American taxpayers," referring perhaps to talk of possible U.S. military strikes on Iran in connection with its nuclear program.
The issue of Iran-U.S. ties, he said, is a "thick dossier" going back decades, formed "because of the actions of the American government." Iraq, Mottaki stressed, is presently the only matter for discussion between the two states. "When we mention the issue of Iran and America, we are dealing with a specific subject, and that subject is Iraq," he said. He added that Iran may need another "week or two" to examine the request of Iraqi officials for talks with the United States to resume.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Iran, Manouchehr Mottaki, SIIC, U.S.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Former U.K. ambassador to Washington calls for Iraq troop withdrawal
Security
(The Guardian) - The British and American military presence in Iraq is worsening security across the region and should be withdrawn quickly, the UK's former ambassador to Washington warned yesterday. Sir Christopher Meyer acknowledged that leaving Iraq would be "painful", but said the mission was not worth the death of one more serviceman. "I personally believe that the presence of American and British and coalition forces is making things worse, not only inside Iraq but the wider region around Iraq. The arguments against staying for any greater length of time themselves strengthen with every day that passes," Sir Christopher said.
He added: "I think the Iraqis are in fact sorting themselves out - often bloodily - independent of what we're doing."
The former diplomat, posted in Washington in the run-up to the 2003 invasion, was giving evidence to the Iraq Commission in London. The cross-party group - modelled on America's Iraq Study Group - was set up by the Foreign Policy Centre thinktank and Channel 4 to examine possible options for Britain's future role.
British commanders in Iraq have drawn up a plan for the withdrawal of almost all UK troops within 12 months, as one of several options to be presented to Gordon Brown when he takes over as prime minister. But Sir Christopher said Mr Brown was unlikely to announce a unilateral troop withdrawal that was not coordinated with the United States.
He acknowledged that foreign policy decisions were always "fraught with risk". But asked about criticisms of withdrawal, he replied: "It always seemed to me this was one of the key moral arguments in Iraq, that however bad things were ... the overriding requirement for us was to be able to say to parents and relatives in Britain, your sons and daughters did not die in vain. I think we have now crossed the line - we now have to say the mission is no longer worth another life of a British or American serviceman."
Sir Christopher's controversial book, DC Confidential, argued that the coalition failed to plan for securing and rebuilding Iraq in the aftermath of the invasion. Sir Richard Dannatt, head of the army, said last year that the British should "get ourselves out sometime soon because our presence exacerbates the security problems".
Oliver Burch, of Christian Aid, told the commission that reconstruction efforts by the military had made the work of aid agencies harder in some ways. It meant military operations were run alongside humanitarian work. "For that reason those who do not like the coalition forces do not like NGOs either," he said. The commission, chaired by Lord King, Lord Ashdown, and Lady Jay will report in mid-July after hearing evidence from a range of military and policy experts.
He added: "I think the Iraqis are in fact sorting themselves out - often bloodily - independent of what we're doing."
The former diplomat, posted in Washington in the run-up to the 2003 invasion, was giving evidence to the Iraq Commission in London. The cross-party group - modelled on America's Iraq Study Group - was set up by the Foreign Policy Centre thinktank and Channel 4 to examine possible options for Britain's future role.
British commanders in Iraq have drawn up a plan for the withdrawal of almost all UK troops within 12 months, as one of several options to be presented to Gordon Brown when he takes over as prime minister. But Sir Christopher said Mr Brown was unlikely to announce a unilateral troop withdrawal that was not coordinated with the United States.
He acknowledged that foreign policy decisions were always "fraught with risk". But asked about criticisms of withdrawal, he replied: "It always seemed to me this was one of the key moral arguments in Iraq, that however bad things were ... the overriding requirement for us was to be able to say to parents and relatives in Britain, your sons and daughters did not die in vain. I think we have now crossed the line - we now have to say the mission is no longer worth another life of a British or American serviceman."
Sir Christopher's controversial book, DC Confidential, argued that the coalition failed to plan for securing and rebuilding Iraq in the aftermath of the invasion. Sir Richard Dannatt, head of the army, said last year that the British should "get ourselves out sometime soon because our presence exacerbates the security problems".
Oliver Burch, of Christian Aid, told the commission that reconstruction efforts by the military had made the work of aid agencies harder in some ways. It meant military operations were run alongside humanitarian work. "For that reason those who do not like the coalition forces do not like NGOs either," he said. The commission, chaired by Lord King, Lord Ashdown, and Lady Jay will report in mid-July after hearing evidence from a range of military and policy experts.
Labels: Sir Christopher Meyer, troop withdrawal, U.K., U.S.
Monday, June 04, 2007
U.S. open to granting amnesty to former Al Qaeda insurgents
Security, Politics
(AFP) - Washington's ambassador to Iraq hinted Sunday that the United States was open to granting amnesty to former Al-Qaeda insurgents who fought against it in the blood-soaked country. "As part of a political reconciliation process, amnesty can be very important," Ambassador Ryan Crocker told Fox News television, speaking from Baghdad.
"It can also be important in this particular context as we seek to draw as many elements as we can away from the fight ... against us and into the fight against a common enemy, Al-Qaeda. "In terms of individual cases involving people who have American blood on their hands, that is something we have to consider very carefully."
The number two head of US forces in Iraq, Raymond Odierno, said on Thursday that the US was discussing cease-fires with some Iraqi insurgent groups in an effort to reduce attacks on US and Iraqi government forces.
May was the third most deadly month for US forces in Iraq since they led the invasion in 2003 that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. Scores of civilians have been dying each week in insurgent attacks.
The man who led coalition forces in Iraq during the first year of the occupation, the retired Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, said recently that the United States could forget about winning the war in Iraq, and could hope only to "stave off defeat." Sanchez was the highest-ranking former military leader yet to suggest the Bush administration fell short in Iraq.
"It can also be important in this particular context as we seek to draw as many elements as we can away from the fight ... against us and into the fight against a common enemy, Al-Qaeda. "In terms of individual cases involving people who have American blood on their hands, that is something we have to consider very carefully."
The number two head of US forces in Iraq, Raymond Odierno, said on Thursday that the US was discussing cease-fires with some Iraqi insurgent groups in an effort to reduce attacks on US and Iraqi government forces.
May was the third most deadly month for US forces in Iraq since they led the invasion in 2003 that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. Scores of civilians have been dying each week in insurgent attacks.
The man who led coalition forces in Iraq during the first year of the occupation, the retired Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, said recently that the United States could forget about winning the war in Iraq, and could hope only to "stave off defeat." Sanchez was the highest-ranking former military leader yet to suggest the Bush administration fell short in Iraq.
Iraq's President Jalal Talabani meanwhile Sunday confirmed the Iraqi government was negotiating with "national resistance" members to whom he was prepared to give amnesty. "Then only al-Qaeda will remain as the main criminal terrorist group and it will be easy to eradicate it," he told ABC news.
"People are ready now to fight against -- to cooperate, against terrorism, and to cooperate with Iraqi armed forces ... when this Iraqi so-called national resistance movement will be convinced to come to the political process, the task of eradicating Al-Qaeda terrorist group will be easier." Talabani expressed optimism about Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Iraqi Shiite cleric and head of the Mahdi Army, Iraq's biggest militia, accused of carrying out sectarian attacks against Sunnis.
Sadr's movement "announced that they will ... support political process, very peaceful, and he asked his followers not to fight against Iraqi soldiers," Talabani said, though he warned that Sadr had "lost control of some of his militia." He also insisted Iraq's government had made "good steps forward for national reconciliation," including resistance fighters who were joining the political process.
He said he expected that the Iraq army would be ready to defend the country by the end of 2008, but that US forces would continue to have "a long-term presence" there.
Crocker also stressed that progress would take time.
"People are ready now to fight against -- to cooperate, against terrorism, and to cooperate with Iraqi armed forces ... when this Iraqi so-called national resistance movement will be convinced to come to the political process, the task of eradicating Al-Qaeda terrorist group will be easier." Talabani expressed optimism about Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Iraqi Shiite cleric and head of the Mahdi Army, Iraq's biggest militia, accused of carrying out sectarian attacks against Sunnis.
Sadr's movement "announced that they will ... support political process, very peaceful, and he asked his followers not to fight against Iraqi soldiers," Talabani said, though he warned that Sadr had "lost control of some of his militia." He also insisted Iraq's government had made "good steps forward for national reconciliation," including resistance fighters who were joining the political process.
He said he expected that the Iraq army would be ready to defend the country by the end of 2008, but that US forces would continue to have "a long-term presence" there.
Crocker also stressed that progress would take time.
Labels: amnesty, cease-fire, insurgents, Jalal Talabani, Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Arab countries fear being cut out by U.S.-Iran talks
Politics, Security, Region
(AP) -- Arab officials and commentators said Tuesday they feared the budding dialogue between Washington and Iran could cut them out of the debate over the future of Iraq, one of the region's most important countries. Many of Iraq's Sunni Muslim-dominated neighbors worry that the U.S.-Iran dialogue could boost Iran's already enormous influence over the Iraqi government and security forces.
Iraq and Iran are both majority Shiite nations. But unlike Iran, which is Persian, most of Iraq's 27 million people are Arabs. "Iraq should not be stripped out of its Arab identity, especially as Iraq is one of the outstanding members and founder of the Arab League," Ahmed ben Heli, the Arab League's undersecretary general told reporters in Cairo on Tuesday.
Iraq and Iran are both majority Shiite nations. But unlike Iran, which is Persian, most of Iraq's 27 million people are Arabs. "Iraq should not be stripped out of its Arab identity, especially as Iraq is one of the outstanding members and founder of the Arab League," Ahmed ben Heli, the Arab League's undersecretary general told reporters in Cairo on Tuesday.
He cautioned that the United States and Iran are "not the only sides ... concerned with the situation in Iraq." "Developments in Iraq should not be conducted away from the Arabs' interests. As neighboring countries, we have interests because Iraq is part of the Arab League," he said. Gulf states fear being dominated by a resurgent Iran that, many believe, could be armed with nuclear weapons in a few years.
Abdulaziz Sager, the director of Dubai-based Gulf Research Center said there were concerns because Monday's talks skirted the issue of Iran's nuclear program. Iran denies U.S. accusations that it is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons, saying its program is peaceful.
They also fear being sandwiched in a possible U.S.-Iran war in which they would likely become Iranian targets. The U.S. keeps 40,000 troops on bases in Gulf states and another 20,000 in Mideast waters. Ahmadinejad said this month that his country would retaliate against any U.S. attack. He called on Gulf states to evict the American military from the region and instead join a regional alliance with Iran.
The Gulf leaders gave a cold shoulder to Ahmadinejad's courtship, preferring America's security to domination by Iran. For that reason, Arab leaders want Washington to succeed in Iraq, Sager said. They worry that if the Americans leave Iraq too soon, it will fall into Iran's hands. "The Iranians are forging ahead with their plans for the whole area. Their ambitions are endless," said Fouad al-Hashem, a columnist with Kuwait's Al-Watan newspaper.
Abdulaziz Sager, the director of Dubai-based Gulf Research Center said there were concerns because Monday's talks skirted the issue of Iran's nuclear program. Iran denies U.S. accusations that it is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons, saying its program is peaceful.
They also fear being sandwiched in a possible U.S.-Iran war in which they would likely become Iranian targets. The U.S. keeps 40,000 troops on bases in Gulf states and another 20,000 in Mideast waters. Ahmadinejad said this month that his country would retaliate against any U.S. attack. He called on Gulf states to evict the American military from the region and instead join a regional alliance with Iran.
The Gulf leaders gave a cold shoulder to Ahmadinejad's courtship, preferring America's security to domination by Iran. For that reason, Arab leaders want Washington to succeed in Iraq, Sager said. They worry that if the Americans leave Iraq too soon, it will fall into Iran's hands. "The Iranians are forging ahead with their plans for the whole area. Their ambitions are endless," said Fouad al-Hashem, a columnist with Kuwait's Al-Watan newspaper.
Labels: Ahmed ben Heli, Arab League, Gulf states, Iran, Iraq, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, U.S.
