In comments today in Brussels, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta demanded that the Iraqi government ensure explicit and complete immunity for all US soldiers that remain in the nation beyond the end of the year.
“I can say very clearly that any kind of US presence demands that we protect and provide the appropriate immunity for our soldiers,” Panetta said. The Iraqi government doesn’t seem to agree, however.
A statement from top Iraqi political leaders earlier this week insisted that only US trainers could stay, and since they were to remain on Iraqi military bases and not participate in missions, they didn’t need the blanket legal immunity troops have enjoyed for years.
The rub, of course, is that the Obama Administration redefined all the combat troops to non-combat troops in 2010, and seemed to be hoping to just redefine them all to trainers to keep up appearances while continuing the war. That’s where the immunity comes in.
But Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who seems ok with caving to US demands, can’t grant immunity without parliamentary approval. The statement suggests parliament won’t grant it easily, and this seems to be another battle for US diplomats to fight.
Of course they must have immunity !!!
Otherwise how can they be expected to do the job of killing civilian men, women and children at the behest of the mad military and White House madmen whose hired assassins they are???
Naturally whole american nation has immunity to kill around the world for joke or sardist to kill innocent men and women around the world. What a nation of infidels.
Another inspiring protection of our freedom to kill .
Who is next on the hit list?
"There but for fortune, go you or I."
So does the mean if no immunity is granted they will leave!
No, it means if they don't get immunity the Iraqis have to leave.
Sure, give them immunity from Iraqi laws- but restrict them their bases and allow them to move between bases only by helicopter.
Why must US troops have immunity in order to remain in-country? Can they not be trusted to obey local laws? All one need do is look at the track record of our people over the years (and yes, I can say that because I was in uniform for twelve years- and overseas for all but a few years of that) and see just how the US cooperates when one of our boys goes bad. It's called a quick flight out of the country to avoid an "embarrassing situation" when a local girl is raped or killed by a US soldier.
To be completely fair, though, for the most part our boys and girls are well-behaved overseas but when they break the local laws they need to be held accountable for their actions under those local laws and in a local court having jurisdiction and not whisked away to cover it all up with impediments to justice.
The only reason for immunity is so soldiers can commit crimes like Davis in Pakistan he should be in jail killing innocent civilians.Iraq should never agree SAmerica has done nothing except destroy there country and have people live in fear.Close down your basers even the one bigger than the vadican.
It's interesting that the status of the State Dept.'s Army – all those contract mercenaries – is not part of the discussion as reported. Does this loss of blanket immunity also pertain to them or just to the military? Does State have separate SOFA with Iraq? Can't imagine that State wouldn't since controlling a bunch of cowboy mercs is probably akin to herding cats.
As I've said before, I give credit to those in the Iraqi Parliament who've managed to back the USG into a corner exposing the ruse of "redefinition" for what it is. As commented on above, for what purpose would the military require immunity if they are really trainers and relegated to the safety of a military installation? Of course, we all know that that is not what they are and that they are not going to be stuck safely away from the civilians – and insurgents and patriots.
Again, why the USG continues to insist otherwise when the truths are so obvious is beyond me. Even out there in Bubbaland, Joe 6-pack knows they're not trainers and he also knows why they need blanket immunity.
Not only is it a matter of keeping the image polished by making abuses disappear but occupations are built on intimidation through wanton brutality capricious violence inflicted on the occupied.. Rule of LAW…. takes away the FEAR factor, especially if the occupiers are FORCED to have grievances adjudicated by the LOCAL authorities…. But then what..?? Put the offender in a local jail, prison…??
"BASRA, Iraq — British armored vehicles broke down the walls of the central jail in this southern city Monday and freed two British soldiers, allegedly undercover commandos arrested for shooting two Iraqi policemen, witnesses said. But London said the two men were released as a result of negotiations.
The different versions of events came on a chaotic day that raised questions about how much sovereignty Iraqi authorities really were granted when the U.S.-led Coalition Provision Authority (search) handed over power to an interim Iraqi government in the summer of 2004.
The arrests of the two British soldiers Monday appeared to have been the first real and public test of how far that sovereignty extends. There have been no known incidents of Iraqi authorities arresting U.S. soldiers operating in the Iraqi heartland." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,169841,00.htm…
This sticky wicket of immunity is the lynch-pin of Sader's resistance to the continued occupation…. How the empire resolves this question/policy will have reverberations throughout the entire occupation gulag known as "allies" and "partners" and threatens the smooth hegemony's reckless brutality, along with inevitable bribes that keeps their inmates in compliance to the depredations and dictats of the empire.
For those that have NOT Noticed….. Unaccountability is what it's all about….at every turn!!!
E.G. http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2011/06/28/us-su… http://www.protectconsumerjustice.org/the-ultimat… http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/dubo… http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A6632-20… http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/arti…
ghouri says, “What a nation of infidels.”
But, is not Empire USA a democracy?… So exactly what is wrong with the 51% voting majority?
First, their deceived into thinking they can be rich, when the super high achievers have capitalism controlled such that only the fastest thinkers make it to High Society.
Second, deceived into being ingrates toward nature’s God, feeling they deserve more then life — they strive to “Be All You Can Be,” to take all you can take, own all you can own and to be a dictator over all who are on land that you own.
Third, is not the 51% voting majority, in any democracy, the 51% most aggressive and wealthy? For surely the half of voters who never show up at the polls, they are we the people who earn minimum wage and not so fool as to waste time voting for our next set of dictators.
why?
why do you parasite invader havce immunity but not the citizens of iraq from torture and invasion from usa have immunity?
Sure. Let them continue killing, maiming, torturing, raping. After all, they're not part of the Exceptional American forces of liberation for nothing.
I am lost for words to witness average american can still think out of the box. All they need now is democracy.
In another article Panetta stated that "we can try our own" referring to any lawbreakers. The Iraqis would have a bitter laugh at that blatant lie. Only the most egregious crimes have been prosecuted, and then only if they made the press. Impartial observers have counted approximately 400 innocents civilians killed at the poorly organized checkpoints set up by the US military. Hundreds of innocent civilians were killed in the seige of Fallujah. Our military used white phosperous rounds. Many dozens of innocents were killed in midnight raids. Blowback from all those killings and crimes by our occupation is coming home to roost. You know the arm twisting and behind the scenes threats will start now by Panetta and crowd. The reason our military has to stay is to protect the bloated staffing of 17,000 that would stay at the biggest embassy in the world. It's going to be almost fun to see how the US twists the SOFA inside out to justify staying, even if the Parliament continues to say NO. Al-Maliki doesn't have the authority to give the proposed trainers a get-out-of jail card.