Posted on 07/30/2004 6:52:44 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
Muslim Nations Want Fewer Coalition Troops
Friday July 30, 2004 11:31 PM
By BARRY SCHWEID
WASHINGTON (AP) - Muslim countries being sounded out by Saudi Arabia about sending troops to Iraq want a sizable reduction in U.S. and other coalition troops as part of any agreement.
As troops drawn from Muslim countries, most or all from outside the Middle East, took up positions in Iraq, there would be a parallel exodus of coalition soldiers, a senior Saudi official said Friday.
The Muslim force would serve in the name of the United Nations and would supplement U.S. and other coalition troops by protecting U.N. officials and helping Iraqi security personnel patrol Iraq's borders to slow the infiltration of foreign fighters.
For months, the Bush administration has been unable to persuade any Muslim countries to commit troops to Iraq. The main obstacle was the perception that Arab or other Muslim governments would be contributing to a U.S. occupation of Arab Iraq.
The Saudis, who privately dismiss any allegation that the United States wants a long-term presence as an occupying force in Iraq, are trying to counter that argument. A corresponding reduction in U.S. and other coalition forces as Muslim troops arrived would help the Saudis make their case.
A partial American withdrawal also could have domestic political dividends in this U.S. presidential election year, where sentiment against American peacekeeping operations is strong.
Some 900 U.S. troops have died in Iraq. About 138,000 are there, backed by 22,000 troops from 31 other countries.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, in welcoming the Saudis' efforts, said Thursday in Jeddah that many questions need to be answered about the idea, including an offsetting reduction in U.S. and other coalition forces. Referring to the complex proposal, Powell said, ``We'll be examining it very, very closely.''
At the Pentagon, officials said Friday the primary factors governing how many American troops are in Iraq are security and the wishes of the Iraqi government.
With Americans and Iraqis under sustained attack, the Bush administration has tried to shift a heavy share of security operations to Iraqis. Jordan has played a major role in training them.
There is a strong desire among Muslim countries to help Iraq, Adel al-Jubeir, foreign affairs adviser to Saudi Crown Price Abdullah, said in a telephone interview from Jeddah.
Still, he said, the governments approached by the Saudis and the Iraqis have been reluctant to make commitments.
The Bush administration has pledged to ``stay the course'' in Iraq but has not indicated how long U.S. troops might remain or when they might be withdrawn.
Administration officials have made the point carefully that all troops in Iraq are guests of the interim Iraqi government, to which the United States granted sovereignty on June 28. Because of that, U.S. officials say the Iraqis have the authority to tell the others to withdraw, but State Department spokesman Adam Ereli this week described as far-fetched any notion that the interim Iraqi government would ask the United States to withdraw U.S. troops.
Among Muslim countries being approached for contributions to a Muslim force are Pakistan, Bangladesh and Morocco. The Saudi official, who insisted on anonymity, said the preliminary discussions have led the kingdom to conclude several requirements are necessary to improve chances of cooperation.
These, he said, include that the force be invited by the Iraqi government with support of the Iraqi people; that it be under a U.N. umbrella; that there would be a parallel reduction in U.S. and other coalition troops; and that the United Nations would be responsible for the political process in Iraq, including the holding of elections.
Now there's a recipe for success if I ever heard one.
Yeah, right.
It is eminently predictable that troops from Muslim countries will support the terrorists, not the government. They should have a choice - play by our rules, or earn a higher place on our list of ratholes to clean out.
This would be interesting since Arab nations don't trust each other. Just send all the US troops into Kurd country.
Given that just about every other Arab country is some kind of tyranny, I wonder how this can work.
It looks like the foxes and weasels will be joining together to guard the chicken coop.
"WASHINGTON (AP) - Muslim countries being sounded out by Saudi Arabia about sending troops to Iraq want a sizable reduction in U.S. and other coalition troops as part of any agreement."
Hmmmm, we must be doing something right....:o)
"Criminals Want Fewer Police."
Uuuhhhh, of course they do.
The Muslims don't like the idea that the common Iraqi is able to see for themselves that Americans are not animals who, for fun, kill every baby that they come across.
No, instead they are learning that we do help build schools, hospitals, etc. We do give food to the hungry and we do protect the needed from dictators.
All of this is making dramatic changes in the way we are seen and the differences from how the clerics have been describing us for generations.
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