Iraq prime minister defends U.S. troop presence

Reuters via Al Mendhar ^ | 2005 Jul 13

[Wiz]

BAGHDAD - Iraq's prime minister defended the presence of U.S. troops on Iraqi soil , telling parliament their withdrawal would not be forced by insurgents but that foreign forces could leave some cities as a first step.

"We want the withdrawal decision to be an Iraqi decision with an Iraqi timetable not with a terror timetable," Ibrahim Jaafari told lawmakers, assuring them that the government was protecting its people's interests with the occupying forces.

He was speaking after a leaked British government memo revealed plans in London and Washington for a sharp reduction of close to two thirds in foreign forces in Iraq within a year .

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick earlier met Jaafari at his Baghdad offices and reaffirmed that American troops would stay as long as required to bolster the new Iraqi government's own, newly recruited forces.

"U.S. forces intend to continue to support Iraqi people and that we will stand down as the Iraqi forces stand up, and that means that the U.S. connection will be based on the conditions by which the Iraqi forces are able to meet the effort to deal with the counter-insurgency," Zoellick told reporters.

At the same event, Jaafari said: "We do not want to be surprised by a decision of withdrawal. The right balance is that the Iraqi people decide through their elected institutions that they are self-sufficient and able to protect themselves."

"They will leave when it is decided there is no more need for foreign troops," the prime minister said.

[Wiz]

ping

[Gucho]

U.S. forces intend to continue to support Iraqi people and that we will stand down as the Iraqi forces stand up


Something for Kennedy, Skerry and Dems to pay attention to.

[Ilky Hucktar]

The Rat appeasers seem to be making them nervous.