Iraqi Council Gives Final Approval To Troop Pact With US

BAGHDAD — Iraq's three-member presidential council on Thursday approved a security pact with the United States that sets out a three-year timeframe for the full withdrawal of American troops, a spokesman said.

The panel's approval was the final step for the agreement, which replaces a U.N. mandate that expires on Dec. 31.

It came one week after Iraq's parliament signed off on the deal following months of tough talks between U.S. and Iraqi negotiators that at times seemed on the point of collapse, and then days of hardscrabble dealmaking between ethnic and sectarian groups.

President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and his two deputies Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni Arab, and Adel Abdul-Mahdi, a Shiite, signed the accord at their headquarters in Baghdad, council spokesman Nasser al-Ani told The Associated Press.

The agreement provides a legal basis for American troops in Iraq after the expiration of the U.N. mandate, but it includes the caveat that it should go before voters in a referendum to be held by the end of July.

Under the deal, U.S. forces will withdraw from Iraqi cities by June 30 and the entire country by Jan. 1, 2012.

Iraq also will gain strict oversight over the nearly 150,000 American troops now on the ground, representing a step toward full sovereignty for Iraq and a shift from the sense of frustration and humiliation that many Iraqis feel at the presence of American troops on their soil for so many years.

Followers of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr opposed the measure, demanding an immediate withdrawal, and the Shiite leader has called for peaceful protests against the continued presence of American forces in Iraq.

Comments

[NorthernCross]

Obama has stated he's in favor of leaving a "residual force". You, like Germany and Japan. Maybe such a force could stick around. Like 100 years or so.

:P

[california2000]

what happened to 16 months full withdrawal???

they are never leaving...­.EVER

[DonKrieger]

Here in convenient form is the complete text of the SOFA as of November 17, 2008:
http://publicservice.evendon.com/SOFA-17Nov2008M.htm

Loading is very fast.
Each page includes a highlighted link which you can copy/paste to reference the page online.

Don
http://publicservice.evendon.com
Pittsburgh, PA

[checkmoot]

The man says 2012 is not that far away. If, let's say, the U.S. was occupied by a foreign army would he still say the same ? Every day we are there is another slap in the face to the Iraqis. Remember this. They had nothing to do with 9/11 and they know it. We invaded and wrecked their country for no other reason than Dick and George wanted to. And we still don't know the real reason. If there is one.

[rzzza]

if th U.S. in your scenario was as unstable and fragile as iraq is, i would thank that foreign power for staying and keeping the peace as best they could.

there's a reason the iraqi parliament passed this measure, it's because they know they still need us, they feel safer with us there, they arent prepared to gamble on us leaving just yet. They like leaning on us even if they pretend (or have to pretend, for appearences) that they dont like us being there.

its unpopular to e pro-american in iraq but it's also smart to take a helping hand when one is given

[Strobe74]

It doesn't matter. All we're accomplishing is postponing the civil war that's going to happen as soon as we leave. It doesn't matter if it was 10 days or 10 years from now. I don't see how it can be avoided. The simple fact is you have 2 religious sects that want to kill each other. Why we'll spend the next 3 years (and how many American lives) to stop them from killing each other is beyond me. And for what? I'm not sure what we're supposed to "WIN" by staying.

It's a slap in the face to our armed forces that they be used as peace keepers between two factions that don't want peace. Under that scenario every American soldier lost is a wasted life. It's disrespectful to waste our troops in such a fashion. If it was up to me i'd leave tomorrow. Our troops deserve better than to be moving targets for no damn reason at all.

[lucite]

Why is it that international news agencies are reporting a picture not as rosy as the US news agencies? Shite militias are not happy with this pact and the violence will not end until all US troops are gone. We cannot continue to fight a war in Iraq, there is no end to this. Sunnies, Shites and Kurds have been at this battle for thousands of years. Suddam supressed his people's uprisings with a reign of terror. The new liberated Iraq has fueled a renewed passion for their tribal disputes. We need to get out before a blood bath develops.

[SailFree]

Why is it that some people are unrelentingly pessimist.

Some people see the glass as half full.
Some see it as half empty.
Jack Bauer sees the glass as a deadly weapon.

Old 24 joke...but it carries a lesson.

Some day, when Iraq, as the example beachhead in the Middle East of a democracy in which varying factions can get along without shooting each other, President Bush will be seen as a visionary political god.

Elections: America's method of selecting a new president without shooting the old one.

[rzzza]

yeah but the problem is america built upon an existing western democratic principle that was there in the west, the east has no such foundation to build peaceful democracy upon. thats why its all theocracies and tribalism and despotism, with old powers giving way to the new through usually violent means.

peaceful exchange of power is not something that just is inherently natural to a civilization, it has to be taught and it takes a looong time to teach. and not everyone is willing to learn.

[Fastcad]

President Bush invaded Iraq for to aquire it oil deposits for development. Everyone who doesn't drink the kool-aid knows this. History may have a way of changing the facts but the truth can not be altered.

[RuckHumper]

You're fooling yourself if you think violence will end when U.S. troops leave. It will probably get much worse; however, the Iraqi army is much better now and should be able to contain the violence and prevent all out civil war.

[PoorManRichMan2009]

I guess you are too young to remember what Iraq was like BEFORE your country invaded and destroyed it.

I used to fly thru there with freight, in 2000.

You could walk the streets safely, water was clean, women had rights and wore normal clothing, the schools were top notch, Christians were protected by the Baa thi st party etc etc.

Saddam HATED Isla mists and terr orists.

I bet not ever run into someone who starts bragging how they were in Iraq 'liberating' them. They can expect a swift kick in their bully n u ts.

[lovable]

WHAT IS IN THIS PACT ? no one in comgress has seen it and the american public has not seen it. where are our reporters on this. they only and always report the process not whats in it. rachell maddow gave us a preview and it is bad for our troops . where is the media . OH THATS RRIGHT SARAH PALIN HAD NOW 180 THOSAND WORTH OF CLOTHES. AND THATS A MORE IMPORTANT STORY .

[fussygorilla]

Don't y'all count on our troops staying there until 2011. In July public referandum, the agreement will be voted down by overwhelming majority and demand the IMMEDIATE withdrawal. So the complete withdrawal date is July 2009. Hooray!

[SailFree]

I'll bet you 100 bucks. Can we select a reliable intermediary who will hold your 100 and my 100 and if we have troops out by July 2009 (all troops), you get the 200 dollars. If they are not all out by July 2009, I get the 200 bucks.

[Omidal]

Obama should be wise not letting our troops stay until 2012 if he want to get reelected. That would be a failure of of epic proportion. The war in Iraq should have never been waged. Why keep speeding money on Iraq while we have our own problems to deal with. I understand the flexible in the agreement that we signed with the Iraqis. What it is important that we leave before the next election cycle which is 2 years from now. The 16 months seems reasonable for if we want to preserve the majority in congress, but if we do it in 23 months(before election) that should tampered down the hardcore supporters. They know this pull out will not be easy, but they expect it to happen.

[rzzza]

obama never promised to get all our troops out in 16 months he just said combat troops, doesnt that leave a defense force behind not to mention the hundreds of thousands of contractors that dont count as combat troops?

sooo...yea­h

[sunbeltvoter]

I can vision it now:

Shadow President Cheney to Rove: "Looks like we effed up the last 8 years so bad the country is going to vote Dem. What can we do?"

Slimemaster Karl: "Lets mismanage the Iraq war, easy as we don't have to change anything, just stay the course we are already on. Stall so it will last till 2012. This will booby trap the next Prez for all 4 years of his term. Time diverted running a war, body bags coming back for 4 more years, and a budget buster for the Dems in Congress too. If we neocons cannot run the country, we will destroy it. A Scorched Blue State Policy."

"Sounds like a 4 year plan for the RNC to me. Do It. Just make sure Halliburton gets the secret contracts.­"


Send W, Cheney and Rove to Gitmo and waterboard all of them.

[SailFree]

I see we have found Captain Demento.

Seriously, this sort of delusional musing is very interesting. Unfortunately, it appears to be a very infectious erroneous meme. The moonbats congregate and heterodyne their insanity.

[devanate]

Yet another major event adding to the culmination around 2012. That's going to be one interesting year.

[RuckHumper]

This is a big step toward sovereignty for the Iraqis. Obama said the Iraqis would never take responsibility for their own security as long as the U.S. had a "stay the course" policy. He said that the only way to force the Iraqis to "stand on their own" was to IMPOSE and congressionally mandated withdrawal timetable. This NEGOTIATED withdrawal proves Obama wrong.

I hope he is not as obstinate as President Bush and can admit when he is wrong, but I doubt he will.


I served two tours in Iraq and realize they have a long, difficult road in front of them. No doubt there will be many ups and downs. I wish them the best of luck. It's my opinion that leaving before they are ready and able to take full control of security would have been a slap in the face of all who served and sacrificed so much. I know it's trendy to say we went to war over oil, but I can attest that the soldiers who have served in Iraq did so with the mission of helping the Iraqis become independent, not subserviant.

I left Iraq last summer and believe they are ready. Moving our troops out of the cities and halting combat patrols is a very good thing. My prediction is that the Iraqis will do so well that we will pull out completely (all combat brigades) by 2011.

[rustyaustin]

If you really were in Iraq, you have to believe this because otherwise you would have to admit the whole thing was a waste of money and life. My guess is you weren't really there. I personally see no reason to stay until 2012, we cold be outta there in 6 months if we really wanted it.

[RuckHumper]

I don't care if you believe me or not. And I didn't say it was worth the loss of money and lives. I agree we shouldn't have invaded in the first place, but we did. So we are now responsible for helping create a stable government befoe we leave. I think we've done that, but in the end, it's up to the Iraqis. And I agree we could probably leave now and the Iraqis would be fine. But there's nothing wrong with keeping our combat troops in the desert for a while to make sure the Iraqis have a handle on everything.

[rzzza]

what's with some of these whiny people demanding a full withdrawal immediatly? you give people an inch and they want the whole mile.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

rzzza
Member Since November 2008

whats with all the whiny right wing sock puppets? Are you guys afraid to use a single login?

[rzzza]

yeah, a right winger is on huffington post. brilliant.

no im not a right winger (well, on some issues i am) but i just dont see what the big deal is, 2012 isnt that far away and if the date is set then whats left to whine about?

stomping your foot and yelling "i want you out NOW" is just juvenile. muqtada al sadr and anyone else protesting this...sit down and...zip it.

[happy camper]

what's with the people who want to waste half a trillion dollars hanging around a few extra years when it's not going to do *anything* to change the outcome.

what is staying till 2012 going to do that beginning total withdrawal now won't, other than deprive defense companies of the hundreds of billions they will bleed from our treasury between now and then?

[RuckHumper]

You have to pay and feed the troops whether they are deployed in Iraq or Kuwait or Germany or wherever. The costs we are incurring in Iraq have more to do with reconstruction than with stationing troops there. Once we settle in the desert and stop combat patrols, the cost of maintaining the troops will be only a drop in the bucket.

[smilodon1]

Too bad it's going to take so long. We won the war in 2003 but blew the occupation. I'd rather see the UN step in and control the rebuilding of Iraq with our help than keep our combat troops over there.

[Weldonn]

CONGRATS! AT $12 BILLION/MONTH X 36 MONTHS....­.THAT'S A COOL $432 BILLION (MINIMUM)

HOPE IT WAS WORTH FEELING LIKE A HERO WHILE ROME BURNS.....­OH...BUT THEN YOU STILL AFGANISTAN­....

MAYBE YOU SHOULD TAG ANOTHER $432 BILLION ONTO THE BILL.