| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| Talabani, Crocker discuss long-term strategic Iraq-U.S. ties |
| 2008-05-26 |
| (VOI) – Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and U.S. ambassador in Baghdad Ryan Crocker discussed on Sunday the means of ensuring the success of negotiations to establish long-term strategic ties between Iraq and the United States to serve both sides' interests, according to a presidential statement. "The two sides also deliberated the means to enhance cooperation and coordination between the two friendly countries," read the statement received by Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI). Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and U.S. President George W. Bush signed in early November 2007 an agreement on strategic partnership between the two countries, sanctioning a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq to protect it from "foreign threats" and maintain its internal stability. Talabani and Crocker also discussed recent developments on the return of the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front ministers to the government and re-formation of a national unity government. The IAF had withdrawn its five ministers and deputy premier from the Maliki government in early August 2007. The step was followed by withdrawal of other blocs including former Premier Iyad Allawi's Iraqi National List (INL), which had five cabinet ministers. The IAF, which has 44 out of the Iraqi parliament's 275 seats, is the third largest bloc after the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC)'s 83 seats and the Kurdistan Coalition (KC)'s 55 seats. |
| Posted by:Fred |