Thread: US, Iraq have draft to pull US troops out

US troops 'to quit Iraq by 2011'

US combat troops could leave Iraq by 2011 under the terms of a deal awaiting approval by Iraq's parliament and presidency, an Iraqi official has said.

The draft security agreement also calls for US forces to withdraw from all Iraqi urban areas by June 2009.

The 27-point agreement reportedly includes a compromise allowing US soldiers some immunity under Iraqi law.

The final date when US troops leave will depend largely on security, the BBC's Crispin Thorold in Baghdad says.

The decision will be taken by a joint committee, which could reduce or extend the amount of time US troops spend in the country.

Mohammed al-Haj Hammoud, the top Iraqi official negotiating with the US on the status of US forces in Iraq, said a deal had been agreed that envisaged all US combat troops leaving Iraq by 2011.

Some US troops could remain beyond 2011 "to train Iraqi security forces", the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.

"The combat troops will withdraw from Iraqi cities by June 2009," Mr Hammoud said.

"Both the parties have agreed on this... The negotiators' job is done. Now it is up to the leaders."

A White House spokesman has however said details of the draft agreement were still being discussed.

Gordon Johndroe said US President George W Bush had spoken with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki about the deal.

They "had a good conversation", Mr Johndroe said, adding that "there are a lot of details that have to be worked out".

Handover aim

A deal also appears to have been struck on the controversial issue of granting US troops immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law.

Mr Hammoud said the deal allowed US troops to remain immune from prosecution on military bases and while on operation.

All other cases would be considered by a joint judicial committee.

The draft deal still needs to be approved by the Iraqi Presidential Council, and critically, by the parliament.

The deal marks the end of 10 months of difficult negotiations.

Speaking on a visit to Baghdad on Thursday, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the final deal would be in line with Iraqi laws and sovereignty.

Ms Rice said the aim remained to hand over responsibility for security to Iraqi forces.

There are currently around 147,000 US troops in Iraq.

We will see what happens. I'm not confident that we will have all of our troops out by then. This process will take an extraordinary amount of time.

Maliki is also banking on the Bush administration's concerns regarding Obama taking office. The tone of this negotiation could shift if McCain pulls ahead in the polls. For example, the Bush administration would more strongly insist on pullout schedule depending on conditions on the ground, or even pre-set benchmarks, if it knew that McCain would be around to shepherd the process. On the other hand, there would be no point trying to negotiate something like this if Obama becomes president, as he will want to pull out ASAP in any case.

'The withdrawal of American troops'. It's what we ALL wanted from the start of this damned war. But, oh...what a difference there was - and continues to be - in the WAY the two sides wanted those troops to leave.

Democrats and all other anti-war forces - including our unspeakably evil enemies, the terrorists - wanted them withdrawn as soon as possible, without reference to any American interest or any fidelity to our solemn commitments. They just wanted us GONE, and by going, there was never any other possible outcome but defeat. Indeed, immediate withdrawal was synonymous with defeat.

Well, the people that always insisted on victory - I'm one of them - have prevailed. America's fidelity to her word will be upheld. Not just to never abandon the Iraqis to the horrible fate of an untouchable aQ caliphate that could have done as it pleased with their new hostages across an entire nation, but also to respect Iraqi sovereignty and resources. We never came to steal oil, or to colonize Iraq, and this development shows just how bankrupt our enemies' - foreign AND domestic - lies always were.

We're negotiating the end of our military involvement with a sovereign state government that treats with us as equals, and they're not a vassal, knuckling under to American imperial condescension. This is NOT a former Warsaw Pact slave-state, that must watch helplessly as the withdrawing army of occupation strips the country of anything it wants to carry away, and sullenly pulls out of a trampled and abused former victim of bully-boy coercion, threatening to return, if the slave catches their eye again.

No. We'll leave with the gratitude of a liberated people, and with our flags flying and our drums beating. We won. And our partners, the Iraqis, won, too. Some of our other partners were less than honorable along the way. Many quit. Some cut deals with our enemy to make life easier for themselves. Some impeded themselves with restrictions on their efforts, borne out of political cowardice or with an eye toward currying favor with commercial concerns. Very few stayed with us all the way to the successful end, and fought with the all the strength and determination that it took; we were virtually alone in putting the effort that was necessary into getting to a successful conclusion - VICTORY.

But we made it, and I've never been prouder of my country. (As a whole, I mean. There are some damned shameful episodes to cause disgust and revulsion until the end of time. And I do believe that history WILL see this as one of our greatest moments...and will note the disgrace that so many, through greed or cowardice, managed to bring on their pitiful legacies.)

So, when the ink is dry, and the handshakes conclude the agreement, another nation will have been freed by American arms. And when we were done, we left, taking only our honor - which we came with, and burnished while we were there.

Unless Obama wins. If he does, disregard everything I just wrote. We'll manage to lose an already-won war, to our eternal shame and humiliation.

blues,

first and foremost, welcome back and where have you been??

second, as petraues said...far too early to proclaim victory, and the slim difference between order and chaos still remains. i think it's fair to say that the US has won a strategic victory against AQ in iraq, but that's just one part of the whole operation. if there's no conciliation and integration of the sons of iraq, for instance, the possibility of going back to the bad old days (thankfully at least minus AQ) is still there. but now, more than ever, it's up to the iraqis to chart their own future. we've succeeded in giving them the space, the time, and the money, now they got to stand on their own feet.

finally, as for obama...as much as i dislike the idea of his presidency, i fail to see how a withdrawal timeline that is perhaps a year and a brigade/two more than mccain's will re-invite AQ, and cause a sovereign nation to collapse. that's one frail victory and legacy if that's the case.

Originally Posted by astralis

blues,

first and foremost, welcome back and where have you been??

second, as petraues said...far too early to proclaim victory, and the slim difference between order and chaos still remains. i think it's fair to say that the US has won a strategic victory against AQ in iraq, but that's just one part of the whole operation. if there's no conciliation and integration of the sons of iraq, for instance, the possibility of going back to the bad old days (thankfully at least minus AQ) is still there. but now, more than ever, it's up to the iraqis to chart their own future. we've succeeded in giving them the space, the time, and the money, now they got to stand on their own feet.

finally, as for obama...as much as i dislike the idea of his presidency, i fail to see how a withdrawal timeline that is perhaps a year and a brigade/two more than mccain's will re-invite AQ, and cause a sovereign nation to collapse. that's one frail victory and legacy if that's the case.

The WAY we leave, WHY, and WHEN is crucial. If we leave because the war was 'ended' by Obama (and remember this iron, unbreakble rule: only the LOSER gets to end a war), then we will NOT be back, no matter what happens. If, however, we pull the troops out of a secure allied country with whichwe have a mutual defense arrangement, there will ALWAYS be an American interest worthy of our attention and care.

It makes all the difference in the world.