Iraq and U.S. ~ Parliamentary Defense: Washington's fears of targeting its embassy in Baghdad, putting pressure on the government ...

08/12/2011

Parliamentary Defense: Washington's fears of targeting its embassy in Baghdad, putting pressure on the government

BAGHDAD - The morning

I went back to the Commission on Security and Defence Parliamentary yesterday, U.S. fears of targeting the embassy and Washington after the withdrawal pressure on the government to increase the number of U.S. troops charged with protecting the embassy, ​​confirmed that Iraqi forces can secure the necessary protection of foreign embassies in Iraq.

A member of the Committee Qasim al-Araji, in quoted by the agency «Sumerian News», that «the statements of recent U.S. and fears of targeting the U.S. Embassy is not unfounded, and its pressure on the Iraqi government to keep some of its troops beyond 2011 under the pretext of protection of the Embassy, indicating that «the Iraqi forces are able to protect the U.S. Embassy and the rest of embassies, especially as it is located inside the fortified Green Zone.

He said that the U.S. embassy was attacked in any future «affront to Iraqi sovereignty and hurt the interests of diplomacy», expressing his confidence in »the ability of Iraqi security forces to confront any aggression».

In the same vein MP said Jawad al-Jubouri in a press statement, said that «statements by a number of U.S. officials on fears of targeting their embassy in Iraq after U.S. withdrawal confirms the bad intentions», noting that «if you want the U.S. relations with Iraq, there is no justification for the launch of Such statements. called political blocs to unite their position in order to prevent the occupation from taking any justification to keep the number of troops, indicating that« there are intersections in the agendas of Foreign Affairs and have the Iraqis away from Iraq.

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It is noteworthy that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said through videoconference with U.S. President Barak Obama need to start a new phase of strategic relations after the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq on schedule end of the year 2011.

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Snip ~ October 21, 2011

Obama spoke with Iraqi President Nuri al-Maliki in a video conference Friday, after which he said both nations were comfortable with the decision on how to move forward.

The new partnership with Iraq will be "strong and enduring," Obama said.

"The last American soldier will cross the border out of Iraq with their head held high, proud of their success and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops," Obama said.

According to a statement from the Iraqi prime minister's office, al-Maliki and Obama "shared the same point of view on the need to start a new phase of strategic relations." That includes agreeing to a high-level meeting within two weeks.

Beyond the human cost, the price tag for U.S. military activity in Iraq has been steep as well.

A report from the non-partisan, government-funded Congressional Research Service found that the Defense Department spent nearly $757 billion for military operations in Iraq over the past decade, $50 billion higher than the estimate released by the Pentagon. Another $41 billion for Iraq was spent on State Department and USAID initiatives, plus $6 billion for troops' health expenses, the CRS report stated.

Paul Rieckhoff -- an ex-Army soldier who heads the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the first and largest such organization for these veterans, according to its website -- cheered Friday's announcement as "really good news for the troops serving overseas."

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