Baghdad rejects giving legal immunity to Americans in Iraq | ||
Baghdad rejects giving legal immunity to Americans in Iraq Compiled by our staff writer As Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki visited Washington to mark the official end of the US-led war in Iraq, observers were asking whether the war had really ended. US President Barack Obama invited Iraqi prime minister Nuri Al-Maliki to Washington for talks on the next phase of the relationship between their two countries after the last US soldiers left Iraq by the end of 2011. Obama and Al-Maliki tried to forge a strategy that would indicate how the two countries will be able to shift their relationship from one based on military occupation to one driven by security cooperation and economic engagement. As it turned out, the discussions left many questions unanswered, even as the White House turned the Iraqi prime minister's visit into a celebratory event meant to mark the end of the US-led war in Iraq. The White House capitalized on Al-Maliki's visit in order to highlight the return of the last US troops from Iraq as a key Obama foreign policy victory that he will now flourish before voters in next year's US presidential elections. Flanked by Al-Maliki, Obama, whose chances of a second term in the White House have been looking increasingly bleak, announced after the talks that the last US troops would leave Iraq this year "with their heads held high." Obama called Iraq a "sovereign, self-reliant, and democratic" country, describing Washington's future ties with Iraq as an "equal partnership based on mutual interest and mutual respect." Republican leaders and the American press criticized Obama for trying to put too positive a spin on what is still a bleak situation in Iraq. During the talks, Obama and Al-Maliki focused on how the US and Iraq would now cooperate to advance ties under the 2008 Strategic Framework Agreement between the two countries, notably by encouraging commerce, trade and investment. Full details of what was discussed at the meeting have not been revealed, but the two leaders promised that their two countries would remain "strategic partners" in the region. Iraqi leaders have said they want US military training for their security forces, but they have rejected proposals to give any type of legal immunity to Americans in Iraq, even those working as trainers or experts. NATO said it was withdrawing its Iraq training mission at the end of the year after Baghdad refused to grant it legal immunity. The developments raise serious questions about whether the US has a clear strategy on how to deal with possible security threats in Iraq after the withdrawal of its remaining troops when it has little military power in the country. Iraq security forces ready to protect Mideast leaders Compiled by our staff writer Iraq's top diplomat said his country's security forces are ready to protect Mideast leaders who will attend the Arab League summit in May. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told reporters the two-day meeting is still scheduled to start May 10 and none of the Arab states have asked to delay or cancel it despite the unrest sweeping through many of the league's 22 member nations. There had been doubts over whether Baghdad was stable enough to host the annual meeting of Arab heads of state. "The security issue is our top priority," Zebari said. "Our security preparations can assure (delegates) the highest degree of safety. I believe no country will stay away, because this is an important event for us all," he said. The summit marks the first time in 20 years the Arab League will meet in Baghdad, and officials hope it will be a boon to the economy and show off security strides taken since a few years ago. The summit was postponed from March. Zebari said the meeting will be held in the former Republican Palace inside Baghdad's fortified Green Zone that Saddam Hussein once occupied. Even though insurgents have been weakened across Iraq in the last few years, deadly bombings and shootings still happen almost every day. At a press conference in Baghdad, the head of the European Union's legal training program said he understood the Iraqi frustration with the slow progress security forces were making toward securing the country. Francisco Diaz Alcantud urged patience, noting that more time and resources will be needed to fix what he described as the challenges to getting Iraq's police, judges and prison officials up to speed. "Some progress has been made, but of course still what remains in front of us are a lot of challenges," Diaz Alcantud told reporters. "There is room to still do more. We cannot train the whole staff of the Iraqi police." | ||
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