Posted on 11/27/2008 6:22:01 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Iraq parliament passes U.S. security pact Thu Nov 27, 2008 9:12am EST
By Ahmed Rasheed
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament approved a landmark security pact with the United States Thursday that paves the way for U.S. forces to withdraw by the end of 2011.
The deal, which parliament linked after days of fractious negotiations to a series of promised political reforms and a public referendum next year, brings in sight an end to the U.S. military presence that began with the 2003 invasion.
Lawmakers in Iraq's 275-seat parliament passed the deal with a majority of 149 out of 198 present, Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani said.
It was not immediately clear if that constituted enough of a consensus to satisfy the demands of the country's most influential Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, whose support for the deal is crucial.
But concessions linking the security pact to other issues, such as the referendum, were agreed between the country's ruling Shi'ite-led coalition and two Sunni Arab factions that have been holding up the vote for a couple of days.
Under the deal, U.S. troops will have to pull out of Iraqi cities and into bases by the middle of next year and leave the country by the end of 2011.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Sigh. I sure hope they do not EVER forget the sacrifices of the 3000+ US Martyrs who bravely gave their lives so that these idiots could sell us oil at $150/barrel.
I still find it hard to believe that we will leave Iraq. That was our beachhead against terrorists. I would have much preferred that we relocate the Iraqis to Saudi Arabia.
Children will no longer be raised under a dictator....a dictator who controlled the sons and daughters of these parents....The same sons and daughters who have joined the Iraqi army, who go to market, to school.
I wish them well.
Hubby and I just looked at each other and simultaneously said..."2012, the end of his term?...interesting."
ALSO on FOX - international correspondent said, "it's hard to wrap your mind around this..." referring to the Mumbai terror attack. It's not hard for those who understand what an ISLAMIC TERRORIST is, and that they hate America, Democracy, and the West - WE GET IT...it's journalists that live in another world that have the hard time!
I wish them well too and a happy kid anywhere is worth anything in heaven.
My only complaint is that we should have had a permanent presence in Iraq. That is our beachhead.
Whenever we do that (Europe, Japan etc) we ensure peace for generations.
I can remember the Middle East being "a problem" from when I was a kid in third grade...almost 60 years now.
Our problem is still "oil dependence"....and it's the Dems who are keeping us in a very bad position with their "no drill" policy....AND ultimately causes the surge in prices for oil......And CORN related industries. They're just plain stupid.
It’s not as if all of us will leave, just the bulk of the 100.000 plus conventional Marines and Soldiers. There will always be a few advisers and military missions there, and maybe a modular base or two.
Is it just me, or can everyone appreciate what this article just said? First: The ‘Iraqi Parliament’ was mentioned in a sentence. This in an of itself is fantastic. Iraq actually has a parliament....not a bunch of Saddam drones rubber stamping the latest dictators blather so their families don’t get killed. This is great stuff. Second: We’ve been told by the Euro’s, the media, the Dems, and much of the Arab world that Iraq doesn’t want democracy.....that oppressive dictatorship and tribalism (read: gangs) is their culture. Well, if so, why did the Parliament overwhelming approve the presence of the US troops?
President Bush has been called an idiot and simpleton by his detractors. Heck, his presidency was destroyed by the Iraqi invasion. But, he has held fast to the belief that through democracy there is hope and hope will prove to be more enticing than terror in the long run. So far, I would say his argument is proving to be correct.
The Euro’s, the Dems, and the media have made getting to today’s historic Iraqi Parliment vote much more painful than it really needed to be. By refusing to get behind the President, the enemies of freedom were encourage and as a result many more Americans were needlessly killed.
History will definitely record a lot of stupidity during the Iraq mission. It will not be associated with President Bush, though.
I agree
This is history, and nobody’s watching, except us
......his presidency was destroyed by the Iraqi invasion......
Only in the mind of the MSM. He retained power an prosecuted the war on terror.
Iraq certainly didn’t want to chance negotiations with Obama and having him pull the rug out from under it, by having Obama disasterously rush to have US forces evacuate from Iraq in 16 months. At least they bought an additional fourteen months.
So 77 parliament members just didn’t show up to vote on this? Wasn’t this sort of important?
So 77 parliament members just didn’t show up to vote on this? Wasn’t this sort of important?
Maybe they should have shown up and voted “present”.
Sure, you just keep believing that tale....
Yes—I heard that too, and thought the same thing—but the date is Jan. 1, 2012, which is just over three years away.
Of course, Hussein’s first(and only term, please God!)would end on Jan. 20, 2013.
Iraq is a sovereign nation. The Coalition doesn’t own it and are simply guests of the Iraqi government in power. The same for Afghanistan.
I fully agree it is a sovereign nation. Just like Germany and Japan were after WW II. We stayed behind to ensure the peace and the maturation of democracy.
Vacating Iraq in 2011 seems hasty to me.
SOFA’s finally a done deal.
The Iraqi gov’t is given STRICT OVERSIGHT of the 150,000 US troops.
What does this mean?
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