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| Iraq | |
| Maliki Defends U.S.-Iraq Deal To Public, Criticizes Opposition | |
| 2008-11-19 | |
| BAGHDAD, Nov. 18 -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki addressed the nation Tuesday to defend a security pact that would let U.S. troops stay in Iraq three more years, and expressed concern that some lawmakers were trying to block it for political reasons. The agreement was approved over the weekend by the cabinet and submitted to the parliament, where the government is seeking as strong a vote as possible in order shield itself from political fallout. In his televised speech, Maliki lashed out at politicians who were taking "double positions" on the accord -- speaking one way in public and another in private meetings. "The deliberations on the conclusion of the security agreement should not be seen as a chance for advancing narrow interests at the expense of the higher national interest, or for distorting what the government is trying to achieve," he said. Maliki said the agreement was "a first step to regain Iraq's sovereignty completely within three years." The document sets a withdrawal deadline of Dec. 31, 2011, for American forces. It also says U.S. soldiers must leave cities and villages by July 2009 for more distant bases. It is not clear that all 150,000 American troops will be gone in three years. "There is a provision for an extension by agreement of both sides," a senior U.S. official said this week. The Iraqis could decide they see a continuing role for U.S. troops, he said. "They have every right to ask us for such a presence."
While the agreement would allow U.S. forces to remain after the U.N. mandate expires Dec. 31, it reduces their power. American soldiers would have to get Iraqi warrants to make arrests, and hand over detainees to Iraqi authorities. The accord strips U.S. contractors of immunity from Iraqi law. The security agreement was the subject of intense debate in parliament Tuesday. The leaders of the main parties in Maliki's coalition were expected to press their lawmakers to support it. But approval was not guaranteed. "Maybe the leaders are seeing the big picture and knowing their responsibility, but what I'm seeing in each political group and alliance are those accepting and those against," said Safia al-Souhail, an independent lawmaker. A vote on the accord is expected before parliament adjourns Nov. 25. U.S. officials say they would have to shut down operations if they have no new legal authority for their presence after the U.N. mandate expires. Opposition to the accord has been led by the bloc of The secular Iraqi National List party of Ayad Allawi, which has 20 seats, has also been cool toward the accord, with its lawmakers saying they prefer an extension of the U.N. mandate. The main Sunni coalition is uneasy about a provision authorizing U.S. assistance in fighting former members of Saddam Hussein's government, said Omar Abdul Sattar, a lawmaker from the group, which has 40 seats. It is seeking guarantees that the language would only apply to extremists, he said. The office of Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, issued a statement Tuesday saying that that any agreement on ending the U.S. presence that "does not enjoy national consensus would be unacceptable." The statement sought to clarify news media reports that Sistani had approved of the security pact. His aides said Saturday that the cleric had received a delegation of Shiite political leaders, including two Maliki aides, and that he had determined that the agreement did not violate Iraqi sovereignty. But the statement said Sistani believed each lawmaker should "express his opinion on this subject clearly and in accordance with what his faith and conscience dictate." Sistani has been careful to refrain from any appearance he is meddling in politics. His influence is so great that his disapproval could torpedo the accord. Separately, the Iraqi government set Jan. 31, 2009, as the date for provincial elections that U.S. authorities see as key to greater reconciliation. Sunni Arabs, who make up about 20 percent of the population, largely boycotted the last provincial elections in 2005 after the toppling of Hussein's Sunni-led government. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |