U.S. troop immunity main hurdle in security pact: Iraq, Reuters, September 10, 2008.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Legal protection for U.S. troops in Iraq is the most difficult issue still to be settled in U.S.-Iraqi talks on a new security pact, a senior Iraqi official said on Wednesday.
Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih told Reuters in an interview that Baghdad was awaiting a response from the United States on a number of questions and proposals Iraq had put forward regarding immunity and some other outstanding issues.
"(Immunity) is probably the most contentious issue," Salih said. "There is a history to it. It is very sensitive."
There have been a number of high-profile incidents involving American soldiers killing or abusing Iraqis since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Iraqis were horrified by photos in 2004 of U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison.
In 2005, U.S. Marines were accused of killing 24 civilians in Haditha, west of Baghdad. Most Marines charged in a U.S. military court have had their cases dismissed or been acquitted.
Iraqi officials say such incidents have colored bilateral talks aimed at striking a deal to govern the U.S. troop presence here after a U.N. mandate expires at the year's end.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has vowed that no foreigners will receive "absolute" immunity, and said last month that "the sanctity of Iraqi blood must be respected."
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I don’t know of a SOFA with any other nation that allows US soldiers to be prosecuted by the foreign government UNLESS the US Government agrees to it.
When this government is stable, we should pull back to Kuwait. We should not agree to giving prosecutorial rights against our soldiers to any nation.
They’d have a field day with that.
One has to remember giving up immunity to our troops can be a big mistake, not only giving up “rules of engagement” but someone accusing them of using God’s name in vain, accusing them of rape, robbery, running a red light and on and on. Some of these people would love to get their hands on some Americans. Its bad enough be stuck in a Mexican jail much less a Arab jail.