Thursday, August 09, 2007
Iran - U.S. withdrawal will end violence in Iraq
Regional
(Reuters) - An end to violence in Iraq depends on the United States withdrawing its troops, Iran told Iraq's prime minister on Thursday, seeking to deflect the blame for bloodshed that Washington directs at Tehran. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, facing deepening political woes at home and U.S. criticism for lack of progress in bridging sectarian divisions, won pledges of support from Shi'ite Iran during a visit to Tehran.
With Shi'ite Muslims now in power also in Baghdad, ties between the two oil-rich countries have improved since U.S.-led forces in 2003 toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Arab who waged an eight-year war against Iran in the 1980s. But the U.S. military accuses the Islamic Republic of arming and training militias behind some of the violence threatening to tear Iraq apart. Iran rejects the charge and blames the presence of U.S. forces, now numbering about 162,000, for the bloodshed.
Baghdad has urged both countries to negotiate and not fight out their differences on Iraqi soil. "We regard Iraq's security as our own security and that of the region," Iranian First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi told Maliki as he was leaving Tehran, the IRNA news agency said. "Establishment of stability and calm in Iraq depends on ... the withdrawal of the occupying forces and an end to their interferences in Iraq and also on the authority of the government of Mr Maliki," Davoudi said.
With Shi'ite Muslims now in power also in Baghdad, ties between the two oil-rich countries have improved since U.S.-led forces in 2003 toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Arab who waged an eight-year war against Iran in the 1980s. But the U.S. military accuses the Islamic Republic of arming and training militias behind some of the violence threatening to tear Iraq apart. Iran rejects the charge and blames the presence of U.S. forces, now numbering about 162,000, for the bloodshed.
Baghdad has urged both countries to negotiate and not fight out their differences on Iraqi soil. "We regard Iraq's security as our own security and that of the region," Iranian First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi told Maliki as he was leaving Tehran, the IRNA news agency said. "Establishment of stability and calm in Iraq depends on ... the withdrawal of the occupying forces and an end to their interferences in Iraq and also on the authority of the government of Mr Maliki," Davoudi said.
The Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals announced on Tuesday that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday with the Iranian Ministry of Industry, according which Iran will grant US$1 billion to develop the ministry's facilities.
Labels: Iran, Iranian Ministry of Industry, Nouri Al-Maliki, Parviz Davoudi, U.S. troop withdrawal
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
UNSG Ban Ki-moon warns against abrupt U.S. withdrawal from Iraq
International
(RFE/RL) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned that any abrupt withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq could deepen the crisis there. Ban said the United States and the international community have a responsibility not to abandon the Iraqi people. Ban's comments come ahead of a meeting on July 17 at the White House with President George W. Bush, who is facing growing pressure from Congress and the U.S. public to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.
The U.S. Senate, meanwhile, is scheduled to be in session later the same day to debate a Democratic plan requiring the pullout of all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of April 2008. On July 16, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said he hoped Iraqi forces would have enough training by the end of the year to take over security duties from the coalition troops.
The U.S. Senate, meanwhile, is scheduled to be in session later the same day to debate a Democratic plan requiring the pullout of all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of April 2008. On July 16, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said he hoped Iraqi forces would have enough training by the end of the year to take over security duties from the coalition troops.
Labels: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, U.S. troop withdrawal
Monday, July 16, 2007
Al-Maliki says US troops "can leave any time they want"
Security, Politics
(Al Jazeera) - Iraq's prime minister has cast off US doubts over his government's military and political progress, saying Iraqi forces are capable and US troops can leave "any time they want". Nuri al-Maliki's comments came on Saturday, after one of his aids accused US forces of committing human rights violations and arming "gangs of killers".
At a time when pressure is mounting in the US for George Bush, the US president, to withdraw American troops from Iraq, al-Maliki has said his administration needs "time and effort" to enact the political reforms called for by Washington. "Particularly since the political process is facing security, economic and services pressures, as well as regional and international interference," said al-Maliki.
At a time when pressure is mounting in the US for George Bush, the US president, to withdraw American troops from Iraq, al-Maliki has said his administration needs "time and effort" to enact the political reforms called for by Washington. "Particularly since the political process is facing security, economic and services pressures, as well as regional and international interference," said al-Maliki.
But he said if necessary, Iraqi police and soldiers could fill the void left by the departure of coalition forces. "We say in full confidence that we are able, God willing, to take the responsibility completely in running the security file if the international forces withdraw at any time they want," he said.
Meanwhile, Hassan al-Suneid, a member of parliament, told The Associated Press on Saturday that al-Maliki has problems with General David Petraeus, the chief US commander in Iraq. He said US troops have embarrassed the Iraqi government and that General Petraeus was working along a "purely American vision". Al-Suneid said the US military strategy is to "arm whoever is against al-Qaeda at a time when there are gangs against al-Qaeda that kill. These are gangs of killers." He was referring to US overtures to groups in Anbar and Diyala, encouraging former anti-government fighters to join the fight against al-Qaeda in Iraq.
The US military insists it is not arming groups to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq. Instead, officials say they are re-directing them away from attacks on US troops to confront al-Qaeda in Iraq. "We cannot imagine that a neighbourhood is bombed with an excuse that 'we are searching for a terrorist'". Al-Suneid warned that these armed groups will retain their weapons in the future because of the US overtures.
He also said US authorities have embarrassed the al-Maliki government through acts such as constructing walls in Baghdad and repeated raids on Sadr City. Al-Suneid said: "Al-Maliki finds difficulty in understanding [Petraeus] because he moves with a purely American vision, and reality needs a co-ordinated mutual vision."
Al-Maliki's adviser denounced the heavy use of arms by US troops against suspected fighters as human rights violations. He said US forces use methods that produce results fast, including "building walls, random killings, detentions in ways that are far from human rights and this embarrasses the government in front of its people".
"We cannot imagine that a neighbourhood is bombed with an excuse that 'we are searching for a terrorist,"' he said.
Meanwhile, Hassan al-Suneid, a member of parliament, told The Associated Press on Saturday that al-Maliki has problems with General David Petraeus, the chief US commander in Iraq. He said US troops have embarrassed the Iraqi government and that General Petraeus was working along a "purely American vision". Al-Suneid said the US military strategy is to "arm whoever is against al-Qaeda at a time when there are gangs against al-Qaeda that kill. These are gangs of killers." He was referring to US overtures to groups in Anbar and Diyala, encouraging former anti-government fighters to join the fight against al-Qaeda in Iraq.
The US military insists it is not arming groups to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq. Instead, officials say they are re-directing them away from attacks on US troops to confront al-Qaeda in Iraq. "We cannot imagine that a neighbourhood is bombed with an excuse that 'we are searching for a terrorist'". Al-Suneid warned that these armed groups will retain their weapons in the future because of the US overtures.
He also said US authorities have embarrassed the al-Maliki government through acts such as constructing walls in Baghdad and repeated raids on Sadr City. Al-Suneid said: "Al-Maliki finds difficulty in understanding [Petraeus] because he moves with a purely American vision, and reality needs a co-ordinated mutual vision."
Al-Maliki's adviser denounced the heavy use of arms by US troops against suspected fighters as human rights violations. He said US forces use methods that produce results fast, including "building walls, random killings, detentions in ways that are far from human rights and this embarrasses the government in front of its people".
"We cannot imagine that a neighbourhood is bombed with an excuse that 'we are searching for a terrorist,"' he said.
COMMENT: The Iraqi security forces are ill trained, ill equipped and ill prepared to deal with the situation that is Iraq today, and they have been infiltrated with rival militias and lack unity and loyalty to one government. Elements of the government agreed to holding talks with insurgent and resistance groups and bringing them to the political table, this was not purely an American initiative. It appears that Al Sadr still has a strong grip on Maliki if this is his reaction to raids in Sadr City which doesn't bode well for the disarmament of militias such as the Mahdi Army. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Al Qaeda, General David Petraeus, Hassan al-Suneid, Nouri Al-Maliki, Sadr City, U.S. troop withdrawal
Monday, July 09, 2007
Allawi says National List considering withdawing from Maliki's government
Politics
(Gulf News article) - US withdrawal from Iraq must follow the building of the country's military and security capabilities and the establishment of "some sort of law and order," says former Iraqi Prime Minister Eyad Allawi. "The withdrawal [of the US forces] will not lead to stability; instead, it will be catastrophic," he told Gulf News in an exclusive interview in Amman, Jordan. He questioned the ability of the Iraqi government, "held hostage in the Green Zone", to function if US protection were to be lifted.
Allawi, leader of one of the biggest groups in the parliament, said that the United Nations and its Security Council should be given a bigger role in Iraq, in coordination with the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Conference. Allawi said his parliamentary bloc, the Iraqi National List, was seriously considering "withdrawing from the political process" in Iraq, or at least from the Nouri Al Maliki government. FOLLOW LINK FOR FULL INTERVIEW
Allawi, leader of one of the biggest groups in the parliament, said that the United Nations and its Security Council should be given a bigger role in Iraq, in coordination with the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Conference. Allawi said his parliamentary bloc, the Iraqi National List, was seriously considering "withdrawing from the political process" in Iraq, or at least from the Nouri Al Maliki government. FOLLOW LINK FOR FULL INTERVIEW
Labels: Iraqi National List, Iyad Allawi, U.S. troop withdrawal, UNSC
Zebari warns of civil war if quick U.S. withdrawal
Security
(AP article) - Iraq's foreign minister warned Monday that a quick American troop withdrawal could lead to civil war and the collapse of the Iraqi state, adding that the U.S. has a responsibility to build Iraqi forces so that they take over.
Hoshyar Zebari told reporters that the Iraqis "understand the huge pressure that will increase more and more in the United States" ahead of a September report to Congress by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and military commander Gen. David Petraeus. The report will assess progress toward national reconciliation. Leading Republicans say if there is no sign of progress they will demand a change in Iraq policy.
"We have held discussion with members of Congress and explained to them the dangers of a quick pullout and leaving a security vacuum," Zebari, a Kurd, told reporters. "The dangers could be a civil war, dividing the country, regional wars and the collapse of the state. "In our estimation, until Iraqi forces are ready, there is a responsibility on the United States which is to stand with the (government) as the forces are being built," he said.
Hoshyar Zebari told reporters that the Iraqis "understand the huge pressure that will increase more and more in the United States" ahead of a September report to Congress by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and military commander Gen. David Petraeus. The report will assess progress toward national reconciliation. Leading Republicans say if there is no sign of progress they will demand a change in Iraq policy.
"We have held discussion with members of Congress and explained to them the dangers of a quick pullout and leaving a security vacuum," Zebari, a Kurd, told reporters. "The dangers could be a civil war, dividing the country, regional wars and the collapse of the state. "In our estimation, until Iraqi forces are ready, there is a responsibility on the United States which is to stand with the (government) as the forces are being built," he said.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Hoshyar Zibari, Ryan Crocker, U.S. troop withdrawal
Monday, June 11, 2007
Major U.S. troop withdrawal planned for early 2009
Security
(AFP) -- The White House has backed an eventual withdrawal of most US troops from Iraq after a report said detailed plans are afoot to retain a smaller military presence in the war-torn country for years. The Washington Post said US military officials were in early planning for a "sharp drawdown" of troops beginning by the middle of next year.
President George W. Bush's spokesman, Tony Snow, declined to confirm or deny the report but said the immediate onus was on Iraqi authorities to end political discord and insurgent violence. The Post said roughly two-thirds of the current force would leave Iraq by late next year or early 2009, and officials are grappling over the shape and size of a "post-occupation" presence that would last "for years."
"At some point certainly we do want to be in a position to be able to pull back," Mr Snow told CBS television, while stressing "that anything that happens on the ground is going to be in response to conditions on the ground." US forces could remain as a rapid-response back-up for "Iraqis handling all the front-line business" of security, the spokesman said.
But Iraqi authorities must also "develop the political basis that is going to encourage people to see themselves as part of an Iraqi government and to co-operate in going after insurgents and foreign fighters and others who are trying to blow up the democracy, literally and figuratively."
President George W. Bush's spokesman, Tony Snow, declined to confirm or deny the report but said the immediate onus was on Iraqi authorities to end political discord and insurgent violence. The Post said roughly two-thirds of the current force would leave Iraq by late next year or early 2009, and officials are grappling over the shape and size of a "post-occupation" presence that would last "for years."
"At some point certainly we do want to be in a position to be able to pull back," Mr Snow told CBS television, while stressing "that anything that happens on the ground is going to be in response to conditions on the ground." US forces could remain as a rapid-response back-up for "Iraqis handling all the front-line business" of security, the spokesman said.
But Iraqi authorities must also "develop the political basis that is going to encourage people to see themselves as part of an Iraqi government and to co-operate in going after insurgents and foreign fighters and others who are trying to blow up the democracy, literally and figuratively."
Labels: Tony Snow, U.S. troop withdrawal
Sunday, May 27, 2007
U.S. may cut troop numbers in Iraq by 50 per cent next year
Security
(Middle East Online) - The White House is working on what officials describe as several "concepts" for reducing the number of US combat troops in Iraq by as much as 50 percent next year, The New York Times reported on its website late Friday. Citing unnamed senior administration officials, the newspaper said the concepts could lower US troop levels in Iraq to roughly 100,000 by the time the 2008 US presidential election moves into high gear.
They would also greatly scale back the mission that President George W. Bush set for the US military when he ordered it in January to win back control of Baghdad and Anbar Province, the report said. The mission would instead focus on the training of Iraqi troops and fighting Al-Qaeda while removing Americans from many of the counter-insurgency efforts inside Baghdad.
But there is no indication that Bush is preparing to call an early end to the current troop increase, The Times said. And one reason officials are talking about their long-range strategy may be to blunt pressure from members of Congress, including some Republicans, who are pushing for a more rapid troop reduction, according to the report.
Proponents of reducing the troops and scaling back their mission next year appear to include Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, it said. They have been joined by generals at the Pentagon and elsewhere who have long been skeptical that the Iraqi government would use the opportunity created by the troop increase to reach genuine political accommodations.
The concepts have been developed without the involvement of the top commanders in Iraq, General David Petraeus and Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, both of whom have been enthusiastic supporters of the troop increase, the paper said. In an interview in Baghdad on Thursday, General Odierno said any withdrawal of American troops was not advisable until December, "at a minimum," The Times said.
Even then, he said, redeployments should be carried out slowly, to avoid jeopardizing security gains. One of the ideas, according to officials cited in the report, would be to reduce the current 20 US combat brigades to about 10, a move which would be completed between the spring of 2008 and the end of the year.
They would also greatly scale back the mission that President George W. Bush set for the US military when he ordered it in January to win back control of Baghdad and Anbar Province, the report said. The mission would instead focus on the training of Iraqi troops and fighting Al-Qaeda while removing Americans from many of the counter-insurgency efforts inside Baghdad.
But there is no indication that Bush is preparing to call an early end to the current troop increase, The Times said. And one reason officials are talking about their long-range strategy may be to blunt pressure from members of Congress, including some Republicans, who are pushing for a more rapid troop reduction, according to the report.
Proponents of reducing the troops and scaling back their mission next year appear to include Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, it said. They have been joined by generals at the Pentagon and elsewhere who have long been skeptical that the Iraqi government would use the opportunity created by the troop increase to reach genuine political accommodations.
The concepts have been developed without the involvement of the top commanders in Iraq, General David Petraeus and Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, both of whom have been enthusiastic supporters of the troop increase, the paper said. In an interview in Baghdad on Thursday, General Odierno said any withdrawal of American troops was not advisable until December, "at a minimum," The Times said.
Even then, he said, redeployments should be carried out slowly, to avoid jeopardizing security gains. One of the ideas, according to officials cited in the report, would be to reduce the current 20 US combat brigades to about 10, a move which would be completed between the spring of 2008 and the end of the year.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, U.S. troop withdrawal
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Bush vetoes legislation to withdraw from Iraq this year
U.S.
(Reuters, AP) - U.S. President George W. Bush has vetoed legislation that would have required him to begin withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq this year.
"It makes no sense to tell the enemy when you plan to start withdrawing," Bush said in a nationally televised statement. "All the terrorists would have to do is mark their calendars and gather their strength and begin plotting how to overthrow the government and take control of the country of Iraq. I believe setting a deadline for withdrawal would demoralize the Iraqi people, would encourage killers across the broader Middle East, and send a signal that America will not keep its commitments."
Bush's veto of a bill that included $100 billion in funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was a rejection of attempts by the Democrats who control the U.S. Congress to force him to shift strategy in the unpopular Iraq conflict.
"I hoped that the president would have treated it with the respect that bipartisan legislation, supported overwhelmingly by the American people, deserved," Representative Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, California), the speaker of the House of Representatives, said. "Instead, the president vetoed the bill outright, and frankly misrepresented what this legislation does." Democrats in Congress appear not to have enough votes to override Bush's veto, which was only the second of his term. Bush will meet with key legislators today to try to find common ground.
"It makes no sense to tell the enemy when you plan to start withdrawing," Bush said in a nationally televised statement. "All the terrorists would have to do is mark their calendars and gather their strength and begin plotting how to overthrow the government and take control of the country of Iraq. I believe setting a deadline for withdrawal would demoralize the Iraqi people, would encourage killers across the broader Middle East, and send a signal that America will not keep its commitments."
Bush's veto of a bill that included $100 billion in funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was a rejection of attempts by the Democrats who control the U.S. Congress to force him to shift strategy in the unpopular Iraq conflict.
"I hoped that the president would have treated it with the respect that bipartisan legislation, supported overwhelmingly by the American people, deserved," Representative Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, California), the speaker of the House of Representatives, said. "Instead, the president vetoed the bill outright, and frankly misrepresented what this legislation does." Democrats in Congress appear not to have enough votes to override Bush's veto, which was only the second of his term. Bush will meet with key legislators today to try to find common ground.
Labels: George Bush, Iraq, U.S. troop withdrawal, veto
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Fears of a failed state if the U.S. withdraws too soon
Security
(CNN) - There are about 330,000 trained Iraqi security forces, including 120,000 in the Iraqi army and 135,000 police force members, according to the U.S. Defense Department. But, according to a Defense Department report in March, "The actual number of present-for-duty soldiers is about one-half to two-thirds of the total due to scheduled leave, absence without leave and attrition."
The Iraqi army's administration has not kept up with its recruitment. Some units don't want to be deployed away from their home districts. On any day, one-quarter of the force is on vacation; soldiers get one week off in every four. Also compared with a contracted, professional army, Iraqi soldiers are hired as if it's for any job, and they are free to leave whenever they wish. Many do, officials say.
In combat, without American forces present, the Iraqi soldiers have no medical evacuation capacity and no air support. They rely on the U.S.-led coalition for equipment, training and supplies. "The sacrifice of U.S. soldiers and the families of soldiers ... is incredible," Gen. Ali Ghiran-Majeed says, speaking through a translator. "We Iraqis will never forget them. [But] we need the coalition to stay."
Polls of Iraqis this year have consistently shown an overwhelming majority want U.S. forces to leave -- but not just yet. And as much as the majority of Iraqis say they loathe the American presence, they also fear its end.
U.S. Brig. Gen. Dana Pittard says the American people are right to hold the U.S. policy accountable in Iraq, but he appeals for patience. "It takes time," he says. "A huge amount of progress has been made, but we're not there yet." He cites the Iraqi army. "In early 2005, there were two struggling IA [Iraqi army] divisions. Now there are 10 very capable IA divisions, and we're working on the 11th and 12th."
Pittard is counted a rising star in the U.S. military, a thoughtful man devoid of swagger. His experience includes a year commanding troops in Diyala province, which has recently descended into bloody chaos. He is frank in assessing the Iraqi military. "The Iraqi Security Forces cannot take the fight to the enemy without our assistance at this point," he says.
He says an American withdrawal, like many in Washington are pushing for, "would cause a huge vacuum that the enemies of Iraq would take advantage of. We cannot leave Iraq in disarray. We came here in 2003. We cannot leave this nation as a failed state," he says. A failed state is what almost everyone in Iraq predicts if the Americans go too early. It is one of the very few points of agreement here.
The Iraqi army's administration has not kept up with its recruitment. Some units don't want to be deployed away from their home districts. On any day, one-quarter of the force is on vacation; soldiers get one week off in every four. Also compared with a contracted, professional army, Iraqi soldiers are hired as if it's for any job, and they are free to leave whenever they wish. Many do, officials say.
In combat, without American forces present, the Iraqi soldiers have no medical evacuation capacity and no air support. They rely on the U.S.-led coalition for equipment, training and supplies. "The sacrifice of U.S. soldiers and the families of soldiers ... is incredible," Gen. Ali Ghiran-Majeed says, speaking through a translator. "We Iraqis will never forget them. [But] we need the coalition to stay."
Polls of Iraqis this year have consistently shown an overwhelming majority want U.S. forces to leave -- but not just yet. And as much as the majority of Iraqis say they loathe the American presence, they also fear its end.
U.S. Brig. Gen. Dana Pittard says the American people are right to hold the U.S. policy accountable in Iraq, but he appeals for patience. "It takes time," he says. "A huge amount of progress has been made, but we're not there yet." He cites the Iraqi army. "In early 2005, there were two struggling IA [Iraqi army] divisions. Now there are 10 very capable IA divisions, and we're working on the 11th and 12th."
Pittard is counted a rising star in the U.S. military, a thoughtful man devoid of swagger. His experience includes a year commanding troops in Diyala province, which has recently descended into bloody chaos. He is frank in assessing the Iraqi military. "The Iraqi Security Forces cannot take the fight to the enemy without our assistance at this point," he says.
He says an American withdrawal, like many in Washington are pushing for, "would cause a huge vacuum that the enemies of Iraq would take advantage of. We cannot leave Iraq in disarray. We came here in 2003. We cannot leave this nation as a failed state," he says. A failed state is what almost everyone in Iraq predicts if the Americans go too early. It is one of the very few points of agreement here.
Labels: Brig. Gen. Dana Pittard, Gen. Ali Ghiran-Majeed, Iraqi Army, U.S. troop withdrawal
Friday, April 27, 2007
Petraeus warns violence will get worse before it improves
Security
(Reuters) - The United States' struggle to stabilize Iraq may get harder before it gets easier and runs the risk of higher U.S. and Iraqi casualties, the top U.S. commander in charge of the war said on Thursday. Army Gen. David Petraeus provided his assessment the day after the Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives pushed through legislation calling for U.S. troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq by Oct. 1.
President George W. Bush has pledged to veto the bill, passed by the Senate on Thursday, and Petraeus said sectarian violence in Iraq would likely rise if his troops pulled back from securing Baghdad in the fall. "My sense is that there would be an increase in sectarian violence, a resumption of sectarian violence, were the presence of our forces and Iraqi forces, at that time, to be reduced," Petraeus told reporters at the Pentagon.
He said the new effort to curb violence with more troops, ordered by Bush in January, meant going into neighborhoods where extremists had been able to operate freely. "Because we are operating in new areas and challenging elements in those areas, this effort may get harder before it gets easier," said Petraeus, who has briefed Bush and members of Congress on the war during his visit to Washington.
"I think there is the very real possibility that there's going to be more combat action and that, therefore, there could be more casualties," he said. Petraeus said ultimate success in Iraq would be down to the Iraqis and their ability to reconcile. "We can provide the Iraqis an opportunity but they will have to exploit it," he said.
President George W. Bush has pledged to veto the bill, passed by the Senate on Thursday, and Petraeus said sectarian violence in Iraq would likely rise if his troops pulled back from securing Baghdad in the fall. "My sense is that there would be an increase in sectarian violence, a resumption of sectarian violence, were the presence of our forces and Iraqi forces, at that time, to be reduced," Petraeus told reporters at the Pentagon.
He said the new effort to curb violence with more troops, ordered by Bush in January, meant going into neighborhoods where extremists had been able to operate freely. "Because we are operating in new areas and challenging elements in those areas, this effort may get harder before it gets easier," said Petraeus, who has briefed Bush and members of Congress on the war during his visit to Washington.
"I think there is the very real possibility that there's going to be more combat action and that, therefore, there could be more casualties," he said. Petraeus said ultimate success in Iraq would be down to the Iraqis and their ability to reconcile. "We can provide the Iraqis an opportunity but they will have to exploit it," he said.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Iraq, Iraqi Army, U.S. military, U.S. troop withdrawal, violence
Iraqi govt. spokesman criticises senate decision on troop withdrawal
Politics, Security
(AP) - An Iraqi government spokesman criticized the U.S. Senate vote to begin withdrawing U.S. troops by Oct. 1. "We see some negative signs in the decision because it sends wrong signals to some sides that might think of alternatives to the political process," Ali al-Dabbagh told The Associated Press.
He spoke after the Senate passed legislation Thursday that would require the start of troop withdrawals from Iraq by Oct. 1. The House passed the same bill a day earlier, and President Bush has promised a veto. The legislation is the first binding challenge on the war that Democrats have managed to send to Bush since they reclaimed control of both houses of Congress in January. "Coalition forces gave lots of sacrifices and they should continue their mission, which is building Iraqi security forces to take over," al-Dabbagh said. "We see (it) as a loss of four years of sacrifices."
He spoke after the Senate passed legislation Thursday that would require the start of troop withdrawals from Iraq by Oct. 1. The House passed the same bill a day earlier, and President Bush has promised a veto. The legislation is the first binding challenge on the war that Democrats have managed to send to Bush since they reclaimed control of both houses of Congress in January. "Coalition forces gave lots of sacrifices and they should continue their mission, which is building Iraqi security forces to take over," al-Dabbagh said. "We see (it) as a loss of four years of sacrifices."
Labels: Ali al-Dabbagh, U.S. senate, U.S. troop withdrawal
Thursday, April 26, 2007
U.S. House passes legislation to set withdrawal date
Security, U.S.
(The Guardian) - A sharply divided House of Representatives ignored the threat of a presidential veto last night and passed legislation that would order George Bush to begin withdrawing US troops from Iraq in October. The 218-208 vote came as the top US commander in Iraq said that the country remained gripped by violence but was showing some signs of improvement.
The bill is now on track to clear Congress by the weekend and arrive on the president's desk as the first binding congressional challenge to Mr Bush's handling of the conflict, which is now in its fifth year. "Our troops are mired in a civil war with no clear enemy and no clear strategy for success," said the House majority leader, Democrat Steny Hoyer.
Republicans promised to stand squarely behind the president in rejecting what they called a "surrender date".
The legislation approves a further $124.2bn (£61.9bn) to fund the war but demands troop withdrawals begin on October 1, or sooner if the Iraqi government fails to fulfil certain conditions. It sets a non-binding goal of completing the pullout by April 1 2008, while allowing for forces conducting certain missions, such as pursuing terrorist networks or training Iraqi forces, to remain.
The Senate is expected to clear the measure today, sending it to the president. While Mr Bush remains confident the bill will ultimately fail because the Democrats lack the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto, he kept up pressure on Congress. To coincide with the vote, the president dispatched his Iraq commander, General David Petraeus, and other senior defence officials to make his case.
Republicans and Democrats alike emerged from their private briefing with Gen Petraeus further entrenched in their positions. Speaking to the BBC while on a visit to Iran, Hoshyar Zebari said the effort to set a date of October for US troops to start leaving his country would not help his country's security or political development.
The bill is now on track to clear Congress by the weekend and arrive on the president's desk as the first binding congressional challenge to Mr Bush's handling of the conflict, which is now in its fifth year. "Our troops are mired in a civil war with no clear enemy and no clear strategy for success," said the House majority leader, Democrat Steny Hoyer.
Republicans promised to stand squarely behind the president in rejecting what they called a "surrender date".
The legislation approves a further $124.2bn (£61.9bn) to fund the war but demands troop withdrawals begin on October 1, or sooner if the Iraqi government fails to fulfil certain conditions. It sets a non-binding goal of completing the pullout by April 1 2008, while allowing for forces conducting certain missions, such as pursuing terrorist networks or training Iraqi forces, to remain.
The Senate is expected to clear the measure today, sending it to the president. While Mr Bush remains confident the bill will ultimately fail because the Democrats lack the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto, he kept up pressure on Congress. To coincide with the vote, the president dispatched his Iraq commander, General David Petraeus, and other senior defence officials to make his case.
Republicans and Democrats alike emerged from their private briefing with Gen Petraeus further entrenched in their positions. Speaking to the BBC while on a visit to Iran, Hoshyar Zebari said the effort to set a date of October for US troops to start leaving his country would not help his country's security or political development.
Labels: General David Petraeus, George Bush, House of Representatives, U.S., U.S. troop withdrawal
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Film-maker Oliver Stone to direct ad calling for U.S. troop withdrawal
Media
(BBC) - Controversial film-maker Oliver Stone is to direct an advert for a campaign calling for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. A US serviceman or woman, or relatives, will discuss the impact of the war in the ad, as part of the campaign by the MoveOn and VoteVets organisations. "America needs to listen to our servicemen and women," said Stone.
The US is sending 28,000 extra troops to Iraq in a "surge" to combat the insurgency in the country. "We have leaders in Washington who say they're 'supporting our troops' - but the people who suffer most from their policies are the troops themselves," said Stone in a statement. "I decided to participate in this project because, as a veteran, I know that America needs to listen to our servicemen and women. "They've been there and they know what's really going on. They need to be part of this debate."
Stone won a Purple Heart as a US infantry private in the Vietnam War, later using his experiences as the basis for his Oscar-winning film Platoon. His career has frequently aroused controversy, with movies including Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Natural Born Killers and World Trade Center. The serviceman or woman or family to appear in the commercial is to be chosen from about 20 finalists in an online vote.
The US is sending 28,000 extra troops to Iraq in a "surge" to combat the insurgency in the country. "We have leaders in Washington who say they're 'supporting our troops' - but the people who suffer most from their policies are the troops themselves," said Stone in a statement. "I decided to participate in this project because, as a veteran, I know that America needs to listen to our servicemen and women. "They've been there and they know what's really going on. They need to be part of this debate."
Stone won a Purple Heart as a US infantry private in the Vietnam War, later using his experiences as the basis for his Oscar-winning film Platoon. His career has frequently aroused controversy, with movies including Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Natural Born Killers and World Trade Center. The serviceman or woman or family to appear in the commercial is to be chosen from about 20 finalists in an online vote.
Videos of the candidates appear on MoveOn's website and the video-sharing site YouTube. "Stories from veterans and family members have poured in over the past few years and we wanted to provide a platform where they could speak directly to the American people and policy-makers," said MoveOn's Nita Chaudhary. On Friday, US President George W Bush said early indications suggested that the security surge begun in Iraq more than two months ago was "meeting expectations".
Labels: advertisement, MoveOn, Oliver Stone, U.S. troop withdrawal, VoteVets
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
