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Iraqis warn of consequences of US troop
drawdown
9.7.2007
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Iraq's Foreign Minister Warns U.S. Withdrawal Could
Lead to Civil War and Collapse of State
July
9, 2007
Baghdad, Iraq, -- Iraq's foreign
minister warned Monday that a quick American troop
withdrawal could lead to civil war and the collapse
of the Iraqi state, adding that the U.S. has a
responsibility to build Iraqi forces so that they
take over.
Hoshyar Zebari told reporters that the Iraqis
"understand the huge pressure that will increase
more and more in the United States" ahead of a
September report to Congress by U.S. Ambassador Ryan
Crocker and military commander Gen. David Petraeus.
The report will assess progress toward national
reconciliation. Leading Republicans say if there is
no sign of progress they will demand a change in
Iraq policy. |
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari |
"We have held discussion with members of Congress
and explained to them the dangers of a quick pullout
and leaving a security vacuum," Zebari, a Kurd, told
reporters. "The dangers could be a civil war,
dividing the country, regional wars and the collapse
of the state.
"In our estimation, until Iraqi forces are ready,
there is a responsibility on the United States which
is to stand with the (government) as the forces are
being built," he said.
Iraqi officials warned that an early withdrawal of
U.S. troops could tip the country into all-out civil
war after the
New York Times said debate
was growing inside the White House over a gradual
drawdown.
The comments followed a wave of bombings and
shootings across Iraq over the weekend that killed
250 people. The carnage prompted Sunni Vice
President Tareq al-Hashemi to say Iraqis had the
right to take up arms to defend themselves.
Citing administration officials and consultants, the
New York Times said these officials feared the last
pillars of political support among Senate
Republicans for U.S. President George W. Bush's Iraq
strategy were "collapsing around them".
It said debate was intensifying over whether Bush
should try to prevent more Republican defections by
announcing intentions for a gradual withdrawal of
troops from high-casualty areas.
More than 330 American soldiers were killed in Iraq
during the April-June quarter, making it the
deadliest three months for U.S. troops since the
March 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Overall, 3,606 U.S.
soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis have died.
Iraqi officials warned of a security vacuum if some
of the 157,000 American troops in Iraq withdrew
prematurely, saying the country's own security
forces were not ready.
"We in Iraq believe, not just the government, but
all political parties, that the presence of these
forces is necessary to prevent increasing violence
and to stop the country sliding into civil war,"
Sadiq al-Rikabi, a senior adviser to Shi'ite Prime
Minister Nuri al-Maliki, told Reuters.
Adnan al-Dulaimi, head of a Sunni Arab party, said
those pushing for a pullout did not understand how
fragile Iraq was.
"Any withdrawal of American forces, whether it's
partial or total, would lead to major chaos,"
Dulaimi said.
Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told Reuters a week
ago that Iraq would disintegrate if U.S. troops left
too soon.
The mounting pressure on Bush from within his
Republican Party comes only weeks after the last of
the 28,000 troop reinforcements he sent to Iraq for
a major security crackdown arrived in the country.
The push, launched in February, aims to curb
violence and win time for Maliki to bring
disaffected minority Sunni Arabs more into the
political process.
POLITICAL DEADLOCK
But there is scepticism Iraq's leaders will meet
political benchmarks aimed at fostering
reconciliation. Only one of several key laws has
been submitted to parliament.
Bush and his aides thought they could wait to begin
talks about any change in strategy until Sept. 15,
when the U.S. commander in Iraq and the U.S.
ambassador must present a report on Iraq's security
and political progress, the Times said.
But these aides acknowledged it appeared forces were
converging against Bush just as the Senate prepares
this week to begin what promises to be a contentious
debate on the war's future and financing, the
newspaper said.
The administration must deliver an interim report to
Congress by July 15 on Iraq. The report has gained
significance with the increasing number of both
Republican and Democratic lawmakers calling for a
change in Bush's strategy in Iraq.
Four more Republican senators have recently declared
they can no longer support the strategy.
As a result, the newspaper said, aides are telling
Bush that if he wants to forestall more defections,
it would be wiser to announce plans for a far more
narrowly defined mission for U.S. troops that would
allow for a staged pullback.
Sept. 15 looks like an end point for the debate, not
a starting point, one administration official told
the Times.
"Lots of people are concluding that the president
has got to get out ahead of this train," the
official said.
AP | Reuters
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