Panetta Calls On Iraq For Troops Decision
Jul 11, 2011 Comments Off Angelia
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Leon Panetta, the US’s new defence secretary, issued a blunt warning to the Iraqi government to hurry up and make a decision on whether it wanted American troops to remain beyond the end of this year.
He also warned the Iraqi government that the US would “do what we can unilaterally” to stop Iranian-backed attacks on their bases and convoys.
In his first trip since taking up the post this month, the straight-talking former Central Intelligence Agency director told US troops in Baghdad that the current indecision was “frustrating” and he would “like things to move a lot faster here, frankly”.
“Do they want us to stay or don’t they want us to stay?… Damn it, make a decision,” Mr Panetta said.
The 46,000 US troops still in Iraq are due to leave by December 31 and US officials say that Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq’s prime minister, has signalled he wants some American troops to remain beyond December 31.
But extending the troops’ mandates would require a new agreement approved by the Iraqi parliament, a significant challenge given the political disarray plaguing Baghdad. Mr Maliki is having trouble securing agreement from other political leaders, not least because of the impasse between his State of Law party and the Iraqiya party led by his rival, Iyad Allawi.
The dispute, combined with worsening protests inspired by the Arab Spring, has prevented the filling of at least two ministerial posts: defence and interior.
President Jalal Talabani said at the weekend that an Iraqi committee would study over the next two weeks whether to ask the US army to stay past 2011.
Although the US military has consolidated and closed many of its bases in Iraq, it still has a huge infrastructure there that would need to start being dismantled in September if the US is to meet the end-of-year deadline.
In the meantime, Mr Panetta said the US would “put pressure” on the Iraqis to go after Iranian-backed Shia militia groups, such as the Mahdi Army, that have been behind recent attacks.
June was the deadliest month in four years for US troops, with 14 killed, and three more deaths so far this month. There were three rocket attacks on the heavily fortified Green Zone during Mr Panetta’s visit.
Washington was “very concerned about Iran and weapons they are providing to extremists here in Iraq,” the secretary said, adding that Baghdad needed to step up its efforts to combat the militants making use of these weapons.
“If we’re all going to be partners, they have a responsibility to protect against that kind of attack,” he said, although the US would do “whatever is necessary” to defend its troops.
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