Lebanon's top Shia | His mouth moves but the voice comes from elsewhere ... |
His remarks were made amid US efforts to sign the so-called Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Iraq. The agreement would determine a legal framework for the presence of US forces in the country after their UN mandate expires in December 2008. The deal would also provide the US with permanent military basses in the country.
The Ayatollah said that any agreement must put a "fixed and imminent timetable for a complete US withdrawal from Iraq," adding that "No US bases or centers should be allowed to stay."
A draft agreement which is rejected by the Iraqi cabinet is to be revised by the ministers and then sent to Parliament for a final approval. The latest draft still envisages immunity from legal prosecution for US troops and citizens in the country.
"The withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq should not be linked to the improvement of the security situation in the country because the Americans can stir insecurity in Iraq in order to extend their stay," Fadlallah reiterated. He concluded that any American presence in Iraq should be limited to ordinary diplomatic missions.