Finally Bush Agrees to Withdraw All US Combat Forces from Iraq By October, 2010

U.S.-Iraq long-term agreement in final stages-Foreign official

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq
Wednesday , 13 /08 /2008 Time 10:28:22
BAGHDAD, Aug. 13 (VOI) -

Iraq's deputy foreign minister on Wednesday said the U.S.-Iraq long term agreement is in its final stages after overcoming a number of controversial issues.

"The negotiations could settle the sticking issues, such as the mandate (of U.S. troops in Iraq)," Mohamed al-Hajj Humood, Iraq's deputy foreign minister, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).
The foreign officials noted "the two sides must draft the agreement in a clear manner."

The proposed agreement calls for the U.S. army to hand over parts of Baghdad's Green Zone — where the U.S. Embassy is located — to the Iraqis by the end of 2008. It would also remove U.S. forces from Iraqi cities by June 30, 2009, according to the two senior Iraqi officials.

All U.S. combat troops would leave Iraq by October, 2010, with the remaining support personnel gone "around 2013." The schedule could be amended if both sides agree — a face-saving escape clause that would extend the presence of U.S. forces if security conditions warrant it.

U.S. acceptance — even tentatively — of a specific timeline would represent a dramatic reversal of U.S policy in place since the war began in March, 2003.

Both Iraqi and U.S officials agreed that the deal is not final and that a major unresolved issue is the U.S. demand for U.S. soldiers to have immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law.

Throughout the conflict, President George W. Bush steadfastly refused to accept any timetable for bringing U.S. troops home. Last month, however, Mr. Bush and Mr. al-Maliki agreed to set a "general time horizon" for ending the U.S. mission.

Mr. Bush's shift to a timeline was seen as a move to speed up the agreement on a security pact governing the U.S. military presence in Iraq after the UN mandate expires at the end of the year.
Iraq's government has been holding firm for some sort of withdrawal schedule — a move the Iraqis said was essential to win parliamentary approval.

The Foreign Ministry official highlighted "the air and ground inside U.S. bases and how to govern the U.S. troops outside their bases are the most controversial issues."

"There are a number of items that require long time to interpret in contrast with other that can be solved easily," he added.

A number of Iraqi religious authorities stood against signing the agreement. The Sadrist movement loyal to Shi'i cleric Muqtada al-Sadr vowed to oppose the agreement, citing violation of Iraq's sovereignty and U.S. influence over Iraq's decision making as reasons.

AM (I)/SR

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