BAGHDAD, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi government
said Monday that it hopes the U.S. combat troops would leave by 2010, raising a
clear vision of time line after the two countries have agreed on a vague "time
horizon."
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh made the
remarks as U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is here on a
fact-finding tour.
Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki (R)
speaks with U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (L) in
Baghdad July 21, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
After
Obama's meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Dabbagh said Iraq did
not set a fixed withdrawal timetable, but hopes the U.S. troops would end its
combat role and pull out by 2010.
Maliki told the Illinois senator that Iraq has
successfully overcome difficulties and security challenges and achieved victory
in the fighting against al-Qaida terrorism group and militias, and is making
economic achievements, according to a statement issued by Maliki's office.
Obama said he believed that the Iraqi government will
be able to succeed in passing a legislation in the interest of the Iraqi people
in the economic fields.
Iraq's President Jalal Talabani (R)
meets with U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (L) in
Baghdad July 21, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
During
his meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Obama praised the political
progress achieved in Iraq, including the return of Sunni parties to the
government, Talabani's office said in a statement.
Obama arrived in Iraq Monday morning from Kuwait
after a visit to Afghanistan, the first leg of his Middle East and European tour
designed to boost his say in foreign affairs amid a presidential campaign dead
heat back in the United States.
The Democratic presidential candidate has promised to
withdraw the U.S. troops from Iraq within 16 months if elected, and send more
troops to Afghanistan where security situation is getting worse.
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate
Barack Obama arrives (2nd R) at the office of Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri
al-Maliki in Baghdad July 21, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
The
U.S. Embassy in Iraq said earlier Monday that he will also meet Coalition
leadership and U.S. diplomatic officials as well as constituent service members
and civilian staff working in Iraq.
Obama's visit came as Iraq and the United States are
on a bumpy track toward concluding a bilateral security pact.
On the back of a dramatic security upturn and under
increasing pressure at home ahead of the provincial elections which could be
held in October, Maliki's government is taking a stronger stance in the
negotiations, including voicing a time limit for the presence of U.S. troops
when the UN mandate expires at year's end.
U.S. Commander in Iraq General David
Petraeus (C) shares a laugh with visiting U.S. Democratic presidential
candidate Barack Obama (L) and U.S. senator Chuck Hagel during an aerial
tour of Baghdad upon their arrival in Iraq July 21,
2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
The
two sides are also at odds over some other issues like whether Iraqi laws would
apply to the U.S. service people and contractors in the future.
U.S. President George W. Bush opposes a specific
timetable for pulling out the troops, insisting such a move hinge on situation
evolvement on the ground.
In a video conference last week, Bush and Maliki
agreed on a "time horizon" for reducing the troops.
Bush sent in five combat brigades last year to quell
a growing wave of violence in Iraq. Now, violence here has dropped to a
four-year low.
The last batch of reinforced American troops is
expected to leave by the end of this month. U.S. military commanders are mulling
on further cut of force according to an assessment of the local security
situation.
General David Petraeus, U.S. top commander in Iraq,
is expected to make his recommendations on future troop levels in a report to
the U.S. Congress in September.
Also, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, has mentioned a perspective of further drawdown following his recent
visit to Iraq.
While noting the security gains are not irreversible,
Mullen said on Wednesday that the situation is "unquestionably and remarkably
better," and "if these trends continue I expect to be able to recommend to the
secretary and the president further troop reductions early this fall."
During his stay in Afghanistan, Obama met with
President Hamid Karzai and visited U.S. military bases.
Before coming to Baghdad, Obama visited the southern
Iraq city of Basra. The oil-rich region has long been a hotbed of turf war among
Shiites, and saw large-scale crackdown operations against militants in March.
In Iraq, the locals were divided over their
preference for the next U.S. president.
"I am not really care who will be the next U.S.
president, because I think the policy of the U.S. administration would not be
affected by a person," said Dhiyaa al-Hadithy, a 38-year-old physician,
"However, if you insist, I prefer Obama, because this man supports the U.S.
troop withdrawal from Iraq as soon as possible. Besides, the man is the son of a
black Kenyan. Maybe he will feel our suffering because of his cultural
background."
Abdul-Hussein al-Kaaby, 47, threw his support behind
Obama's Republican presidential campaign rival John McCain.
"I believe that McCain is more reasonable in leading
the U.S. policy in Iraq. The man is realistic. They can't just pull out the
troops, while our security forces are facing considerable threats from
terrorists," said the lawyer.
"We are facing terrorism coming from the region and
all over the world, so we still need the world great powers to support us, and
Mr. McCain and the Republicans are the right people to provide back-up," he
said.
WASHINGTON, July 21 (Xinhua) -- An expected U.S.-Iraq
long-term strategic agreement will not spell out a specific date for a
withdrawal of American troops, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said here
Monday.
"What it will not do is have any sort date tied to combat
troops, like how many American troops would be in Iraq at X date. That would not
be included," Perino told reporters. Full story
BAGHDAD, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi and U.S. leaders have
talked about bilateral relations in a phone conversation, including working out
a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, the Iraqi government said
Friday.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a
statement that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and U.S. President George W. Bush
stressed the importance of achieving a timetable to hand over security control
to the Iraqi security troops so as to lay the ground for the pullout of the U.S.
force. Full story
BAGHDAD, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi government
spokesman gave a dim outlook Monday of reaching a security agreement with the
current U.S. administration.
"There is a large possibility of postponing the
signing of the long-term agreement between Iraq and the U.S., until a new U.S.
administration is elected," Ali al-Dabbagh was quoted as saying by the Voice of
Iraq news agency. Full story
BAGHDAD, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Iraq and the United States
had agreed on most points in an envisaged bilateral relation deal, Iraqi media
reported Monday.
Hassan al-Saneed, a lawmaker from the leading Shiite
bloc of Unified Iraqi Alliance, was quoted by the Voice of Iraq as saying that
disagreement had largely subsided and the two sides had agreed on many
points. Full story
