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November 16th,
2008 - US Welcomes Iraq’s Approval of Pact on Military Pullout |
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US Welcomes
Iraq’s Approval of Pact on Military Pullout By Agence France Presse November 16, 2008 Washington - The White House
on Sunday welcomed the approval by Iraq's cabinet of a military pact that
requires the withdrawal of all US troops by the end of 2011. "We welcome the Iraqi
Cabinet's approval of the agreement today. This is an important and positive
step," said National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe. "While the process is
not yet complete, we remain hopeful and confident we'll soon have an
agreement that serves both the people of Iraq and the United States well and
sends a signal to the region and the world that both our governments are
committed to a stable, secure and democratic Iraq," he added. Iraq's cabinet approved the
military deal as a deadly suicide car bomb underscored the country's
lingering insecurity. The attack took place within hours of the cabinet
decision at a police checkpoint in Iraq's volatile Diyala province, killing
at least 15 people. It was the latest in a string of near-daily attacks
targeting security forces. Baghdad and Washington have
been scrambling for months to reach an agreement that will govern the status
of more than 150,000 US soldiers stationed in some 400 bases across the
country after their UN mandate expires on December 31. Speaking to reporters in
Baghdad after the two-and-a-half hour meeting, government spokesman Ali
al-Dabbagh said all the most important political blocs had taken a
"positive position" on the deal. "They consider it the
best (agreement) possible, because it will manage and end the military
presence and guarantee the complete withdrawal of the troops." Johndroe in turn stressed
that improving security conditions had made it all possible. "The agreements
covering security, economic, political as well as diplomatic relations would
not be possible if security conditions were not vastly improved," he
said. "This progress has been
made possible by the great work of American forces, the courage of the Iraqi
people and the increasing capacity and strength of the Iraqi Security Forces.
While there is still much work to be done, US forces continue to return home
and there will be 14 Brigade Combat Teams at the end of this year, down from
20 at the height of the surge," Johndroe added. Iraq's parliament will vote
on the pact on November 24, with the first reading set for Monday, deputy
speaker Khalid al-Attiya told AFP. The agreement would then be
ratified by Iraq's presidential council before Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki
would sign it with US President George W. Bush. It took nearly 11 months of
tense and detailed negotiations before both Baghdad and Washington were
comfortable with the SOFA pact on the future of US forces in Iraq. The draft agreement includes
31 articles and calls for US troops to pull out of Iraqi cities by June 2009
and from the entire country by the end of 2011. Copyright © 2008 AFP. All
rights reserved. External link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i-DYRwujJTv6LL-hJCVOFqzVvp5A |