It was just weeks ago that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki absolutely ruled out the continued US presence in his nation beyond December. At the time, Maliki said Iraq didn’t need the troops anymore. In the wake of the comments, the US continued to press for “an answer,” ignoring what seemed to be a pretty clear one.
It seems this strategy has worked and that Maliki has backed off his previous comments. Now, the Iraqi PM insists he will not make any decision, but will engage in “consultation” with other ruling parties until a consensus is reached.
Such a consensus is likely to be virtually impossible. The Kurdistan blocs have been supportive to the continued occupation more or less unconditionally, while the Iraqi National Alliance’s leading Sadrist faction has ruled it out entirely, with Sadr openly threatening armed resistance if the US attempts to stay.
US officials have repeatedly insisted that it is vital they remain in the nation in 2012 and beyond. Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested the US might remain basically forever.
I knew the US government would stay. Either Maliki was just pretending to want the Americans to leave to plese his own people or behind the scenes the US pressured him. Either way the empire lives on.
The Americans "need time to prepare and get ready for the withdrawal, so they want my decision before August," he said.
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/05/11/114074/iraq…
Mr. Malaki.., what have you done..,! or let say what the American got on you so you have changed your mind and now wanting to talk about US getting out of Iraq. Perhaps you are trying to tell the Iraqi people that you are a product of the US falsified democracy and therefore you need to talk to other political parties before telling US to get out and stay out. Mr. Malaki US and EU never asked you nor they asked Iraqi people or any other political parties in US or in England when they invaded Iraq.., beside they lied to the world about Iraq having WMD.., so tell us what is wrong.., is there a negotiation going on that we dont know about.., be honest tell the world what changed your mind.
OK. So now the taxpayer will fund billions of dollars more down the drain for what??
So that the hatred of Americans in the Middle East can grow until one day even trillions of dollars wont stop the backlash against the occupation.
Consultation with other parties? Maliki knows that Moqtada al-Sadr will say NO! So Maliki is just prevaricating to get the US to STFU.
When will Washington learn that even for a superpower, there are times when you should keep your mouth firmly shut (or clamped tight on the teat of the military-industrial complex).
Splitting the baby the United States of NATO stay in Kurdistan where the troops are loved and the officers can live in luxury in and around Erbil.
So Maliki changed his mind…anyone surprised? I suspect that come deadline time, something will happen to change the minds of those factions who oppose the continued US occupation. Perhaps Sadr will have an accident while crossing the border from Iran…or Maliki will reform his government, again, to solidify his precarious hold on power…or, all of a sudden, everyone just agrees that having US combat troops (I mean trainers) around to protect the flow of oil (and the US/British oil companies running the oil fields). In all scenarios, one should follow the flow of….money (from the US treasury (US taxpayer)). The US has no intention of leaving Iraq, ever – well, until the oil runs out anyway.
I wonder how much that little change of mind cost the taxpayers of the US.
Actually it won't cost us anything because those troops were never going anywhere. The entire point of all this kabuki is to have as many failed junk states in the Mid East — which isn't all that many considering so many are client states of ours already – as possible so we can keep our military on top of as much oil as possible. Which is why we've been all but telling the world flat out for 5 years we're going to be in Iran in a year or so and probably Syria.
Lots of oil and a nice long buffer that runs from Japan to Finland keeping the Chinese and Russians locked up. We'll have some kind of military base about every ten yards.
From break of day to setting sun, an empire's work is never done.
All US puppets that are letting the US steal all of Iraqs oil thats what the war was for never weapons anyone that thinks otherwise is eather dumb or never looked and the over welming proff.The entire wqorld hates you and Israel not the citizens but 90 to 95 persent of the governments.No longer a country an empire and all empires fall HARD It's just when.
This article doesn't make sense. The present SOFA agreement between the US and Iraqi governments flatly requires that all US troops be out of Iraq by the end of 2011. Unless the Iraqi government amends the SOFA agreement before December 31 of this year, all US troops must be out of Iraq or else the US is in violation of its own agreement with Iraq. So unless Maliki succeeds in getting his government to amend SOFA before the end of the year, the existing SOFA stands and requires all US troops to be gone by December 31. I fail to see anything in Maliki's recent remarks which alters the existing legal requirement of SOFA. So far as I know from reading news reports from Iraq over the past months and years, Maliki has always been consistent in saying that it is for his government — not him alone as Prime Minister — to decide whether the existing SOFA agreement should be modified.
Well the US Constitution says a lot of stuff too.
I'd like to think the US would abide by its own agreement, but so far I haven't see footage of bases being closed or equipment being shipped back home or units being processed for redeployment. One might almost get the impression we're not expecting to leave- imagine that!
I have read that some commanders are saying it would take months, if not years, to get all their stuff out- but why? We can land entire divisions, ready to fight, within a few hours notice- and have air and armor assets in place in short order- so why does it take us so long to pack up and leave? It's not like we're going to be taking airfields and hangars and bunkers home- and the civilian stuff, well that's their business. If Burger King and Domino's want to keep on selling, they can deal with the locals- otherwise, it's on them to get their ovens and people out whenever they're ready.
It looks like the American bully got its way again. I never thought the USA had any intention of leaving. When do we ever leave? Look at S.K. Okinanwa, Germany, etc.
Gunpoint Democracy- the gift that keeps on giving.
Washington will simply purchase the Iraqis with money, like Washington has been doing.
Who really thinks Maliki values Iraq more than his bank account?
Or the Iraqi Army had quietly promised a coup if they didn't. and a pile of cash from DC. ether way its going to suck.
<Israel> will simply purchase the <Americans> with money, like Tel Aviv has been doing.
Who really thinks <Obama> values <America> more than his bank account?
THAT is why we'll stay.
Anyone taking the long view will love this. That is, if they wish the US ill. Everything we do in Iraq is going to cost money. Lots of money. We're in league with the foulest and most corrupt elements in the country; as the lizard-skinned congressman from Texas said in the movie Syriana, "corruption is how we win." Not so this time. We'll be squeezed by our "allies" and the insurgency will resume (as it should; what country accepts foreign plunder and domination willingly?) and it will be costly. Bankrupt the bitches, that's the sensible refrain our "enemies" will gladly sing.
Like Carol said bankrupt your already bankrupt country.I just feel sorry for the Americans that are against illegal wars.US citizens need to take to the streets your middel class is prity much gone well the rich are richer than ever SAD.
If I were an Iraqi living in Iraq, I'd want us out, too- peacefully, if possible, but if not then by any means necessary.
Put yourselves in the average Iraqi's shoes for one minute and you'd see the truth of it.
At times it seems to me that this site belongs to the CIA. In this article, for instance, the issue is colonialism and occupation, nothing else and nothing more. Sadr risks is life and rightly resists this neo-colonialism, hides in Iran to escape CIA assassination, the USA terrorizes this democratically-elected party, and you wouldn't know any of this from a site that calls itself ANTIWAR. Antiwar indeed! You could read 1000 articles at this site, and never grasp that basic truth–more or less like another called pro-peace site: Counterpunch. Advice to readers: If you want to know what is going on, not through the prisms of the CIA, try http://www.activistpost.com/ http://ampedstatus.com/ http://www.globalresearch.ca/
And it these independent sites that deserve your financial support as well.