Posted on 09/04/2006 10:52:21 AM PDT by Democracy In Iraq
U.S., Iraq near handover
By Ibon Villelabeitia
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United States and Iraq hope to sign an agreement by next week to hand operational command of Iraq's new army to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq said on Monday, after wrangles on wording had held up the accord.
A day after the government hailed the arrest of al Qaeda in Iraq's purported deputy head as a coup against insurgents, the bodies of 33 men, some with their hands bound and bearing signs of torture, were found in Baghdad, and foreign forces announced the death of four Americans and two British soldiers.
South of the capital, the U.S.-trained Iraqi army said it killed 14 suspected insurgents who had been plotting to attack Shi'ite pilgrims, a popular tactic by Sunni militants whom U.S. and Iraqi officials accuse of spreading sectarian civil war.
A player for one of Iraq's biggest soccer clubs was kidnapped by gunmen in Baghdad just days before he was due to sign a transfer to a Syrian club, an Iraqi official said.
Transferring security from U.S. forces to the Iraqi army it is training is key to Washington's plans to withdraw its 140,000 troops. A handover ceremony set for Saturday was delayed over disagreements between Baghdad and Washington over the wording of a document outlining their armies' new relationship.
Denying there had ever been serious disagreement, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told Reuters: "Both sides have agreed on the main issues. I think the document is ready to be signed, probably by the end of this week or early next week."
He said all remaining disagreements were "technicalities."
...snip...
I think this is a good thing. There are things Iraq can do with its army that our military could not get away with.
If an agreement is signed, this will diffuse one of the Dims main arguments and it will bode will for our side in November.
Especially if a date is given on when American troop commitments will begin winding down.
bode "well" for our side.
"Transferring security from U.S. forces to the Iraqi army it is training is key to Washington's plans to withdraw its 140,000 troops."
A lie. We arent training them so we can withdraw, we are training them so we can win. Should read:
"Transferring security from U.S. forces to the Iraqi army it is training is key to Washington's plans for victory in Iraq, of getting the democratic Government in Iraq to be able to defend itself from insurgent threats."
One of he best I've ever seen. This should be used in the Irey campaign.
Yep, that's the reason for W's Iraq trip not long ago.
bttt
What a pile of BS the Dems have concocted as their 'idea' for Iraq:
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=71682
The Presidents strategy is the better one:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/iraq_strategy_nov2005.html
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