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U.S. proposes troops presence to 2015 in
Iraq: Jalal Talabani
28.8.2008
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August 28, 2008
BAGHDAD, — Iraqi President Jalal Talabani
said that the United States asked Iraq to keep its
troops in the war-torn country until 2015, but
negotiations set 2011 as a dead line, website of
Talabani's party posted on Wednesday.
"It was an American proposal that its troops to stay
in Iraq to2015 while the Iraqi one suggested 2010,www.ekurd.net
then we agreed on the
date 2011," Talabani said in an interview with the
al-Hurra television from Washington late on Tuesday.
Talabani said that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki
submitted the draft strategic deal between the two
countries to the Iraqi political council, which
includes top leaders of Iraqi government and heads
of political blocs in the parliament, the website of
the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) quoted
Talabani as saying. |
Iraqi President : Jalal Talabani, a Kurd |
Talabani noted that there is an article in the
agreement stipulating the withdrawal of foreign
troops from Iraq by the end of 2011, but he stressed
that Iraq has the right to extend the presence of
those troops in the country if necessary.
On Kirkuk, he said that the problem could be solved
by finding an agreement among all its components;
Assyrians, Kurds, Arabs and Iraqi Turkmen.
On Monday, Maliki said in a speech to tribal leaders
that U.S. and Iraqi negotiators have reached an
agreement that foreign troops to withdraw from Iraq
by 2011.
"There is an agreement between the two sides that
there would be no foreign soldiers in the Iraqi by
the end of 2011," Maliki said.
The U.S. immediately challenged Maliki's speech.
White House spokesman Tony Fratto said any U.S.
withdrawal must be linked to conditions on the
ground in Iraq.
The U.S. side has been rejecting a specific
timetable for pulling out troops,www.ekurd.net
arguing that must depend on the situation on the
ground in Iraq.
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