eurekaa
06-13-2008, 10:48 PM
Iraq-U.S. talks reached a “dead end” : PM Maliki Said
U.S. vows to pursue Iraq security talks
http://www.onlines.ws/wp-content/img/iraq_maliki.jpg
“One of the important issues that the U.S. is asking for is immunity for its soldiers and those contracting with it. We reject this totally,” said Maliki.
“We are not sure of the exact words he used, we intend to continue to work with the Iraqis on the negotiations,” spokeswoman Dana Perino said after Maliki told Jordanian newspaper editors the discussion had hit an “impasse.”
“We fully respect their sovereignty — it is, after all, what we fought for in the liberation,” she said, referring to the March 2003 US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.
Criticism has been rife in Iraq and in neighboring Iran over the deal to cover the foreign military presence in Iraq when a UN mandate expires at the end of this year.
“We have reached an impasse because when we opened these negotiations we did not realize that the US demands would so deeply affect Iraqi sovereignty and this is something we can never accept,” Maliki said in Amman.
“We cannot allow US forces to have the right to jail Iraqis or assume, alone, the responsibility of fighting against terrorism,” Maliki told Jordanian newspaper editors, according to a journalist present at the meeting.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared on Friday that talks with the United States on a new long-term security pact had reached a “dead end” because of U.S. demands that infringed Iraq’s sovereignty.
“We can’t extend the U.S. forces permission to arrest Iraqis or to undertake terror fighting in an independent way, or to keep Iraqi skies and waters open for themselves whenever they want,” said Maliki.
“One of the important issues that the U.S. is asking for is immunity for its soldiers and those contracting with it. We reject this totally,” he added.
The United States and Iraq are negotiating a new agreement to provide a legal basis for U.S. troops to stay in Iraq after Dec. 31, when their United Nations mandate expires.
They are also negotiating a long-term strategic framework agreement on political, diplomatic, economic, security and cultural ties.
Source : ( onlines news ) (http://www.onlines.ws/?p=634)
(http://www.onlines.ws/?p=634)
U.S. vows to pursue Iraq security talks
http://www.onlines.ws/wp-content/img/iraq_maliki.jpg
“One of the important issues that the U.S. is asking for is immunity for its soldiers and those contracting with it. We reject this totally,” said Maliki.
“We are not sure of the exact words he used, we intend to continue to work with the Iraqis on the negotiations,” spokeswoman Dana Perino said after Maliki told Jordanian newspaper editors the discussion had hit an “impasse.”
“We fully respect their sovereignty — it is, after all, what we fought for in the liberation,” she said, referring to the March 2003 US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.
Criticism has been rife in Iraq and in neighboring Iran over the deal to cover the foreign military presence in Iraq when a UN mandate expires at the end of this year.
“We have reached an impasse because when we opened these negotiations we did not realize that the US demands would so deeply affect Iraqi sovereignty and this is something we can never accept,” Maliki said in Amman.
“We cannot allow US forces to have the right to jail Iraqis or assume, alone, the responsibility of fighting against terrorism,” Maliki told Jordanian newspaper editors, according to a journalist present at the meeting.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared on Friday that talks with the United States on a new long-term security pact had reached a “dead end” because of U.S. demands that infringed Iraq’s sovereignty.
“We can’t extend the U.S. forces permission to arrest Iraqis or to undertake terror fighting in an independent way, or to keep Iraqi skies and waters open for themselves whenever they want,” said Maliki.
“One of the important issues that the U.S. is asking for is immunity for its soldiers and those contracting with it. We reject this totally,” he added.
The United States and Iraq are negotiating a new agreement to provide a legal basis for U.S. troops to stay in Iraq after Dec. 31, when their United Nations mandate expires.
They are also negotiating a long-term strategic framework agreement on political, diplomatic, economic, security and cultural ties.
Source : ( onlines news ) (http://www.onlines.ws/?p=634)
(http://www.onlines.ws/?p=634)