.U.S.-Iraq security pact gets Obama lift
BAGHDAD - Barack Obama's election is already beginning to shift the political ground in Iraq and the region.
Iraqi Shiite politicians are indicating that they will move faster toward a new security agreement governing U.S. troops, and a Bush administration official said he believed the Iraqis could ratify it as early as mid-November.
Obama has said that he favors a 16-month schedule for withdrawing combat brigades, a timetable about twice as fast as that provided for in the draft U.S.-Iraqi accord.
Many Shiite politicians had been under intense pressure from Iranian leaders not to sign the security agreement.
Iran, which has close ties to Iraq's Shiite politicians, has feared the pact would lay the groundwork for a permanent U.S. troop presence that would threaten Iran. But now, the Iraqis appear to be feeling less pressure from Iran, perhaps because the Iranians are less worried that an Obama government will try to force a regime change in their country.
Of course, given the volatile state of Iraqi politics, the security agreement could still be delayed. But with Iraqis believing that Obama, as president, would move faster to withdraw U.S. troops, Iraqi and U.S. officials said obstacles appeared to be fading.
Jabeer Habib, an independent Shiite lawmaker and a political scientist at Baghdad University, put it simply: "Obama's election shifts Iraq into a new position."
Obama's election also coincided with the U.S. negotiators' acceptance of many of the changes Iraqis demanded, making it easier for Iraq and its neighbors -- Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia -- to accept.
The U.S. negotiators sent a new version of the agreement to Iraqi leaders on Thursday, and a U.S. Embassy spokeswoman called it the "final text." Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Iraq expects further discussions but added, "The atmosphere is positive."
The Americans added language to make explicit what kinds of troops would remain after 2011 -- primarily trainers and air-traffic controllers, a Bush administration official said. The text also reportedly includes Baghdad's proposal to inspect mail and cargo sent to U.S. forces.
StarTribune
Iraqi Shiite politicians are indicating that they will move faster toward a new security agreement governing U.S. troops, and a Bush administration official said he believed the Iraqis could ratify it as early as mid-November.
Obama has said that he favors a 16-month schedule for withdrawing combat brigades, a timetable about twice as fast as that provided for in the draft U.S.-Iraqi accord.
Many Shiite politicians had been under intense pressure from Iranian leaders not to sign the security agreement.
Iran, which has close ties to Iraq's Shiite politicians, has feared the pact would lay the groundwork for a permanent U.S. troop presence that would threaten Iran. But now, the Iraqis appear to be feeling less pressure from Iran, perhaps because the Iranians are less worried that an Obama government will try to force a regime change in their country.
Of course, given the volatile state of Iraqi politics, the security agreement could still be delayed. But with Iraqis believing that Obama, as president, would move faster to withdraw U.S. troops, Iraqi and U.S. officials said obstacles appeared to be fading.
Jabeer Habib, an independent Shiite lawmaker and a political scientist at Baghdad University, put it simply: "Obama's election shifts Iraq into a new position."
Obama's election also coincided with the U.S. negotiators' acceptance of many of the changes Iraqis demanded, making it easier for Iraq and its neighbors -- Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia -- to accept.
The U.S. negotiators sent a new version of the agreement to Iraqi leaders on Thursday, and a U.S. Embassy spokeswoman called it the "final text." Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Iraq expects further discussions but added, "The atmosphere is positive."
The Americans added language to make explicit what kinds of troops would remain after 2011 -- primarily trainers and air-traffic controllers, a Bush administration official said. The text also reportedly includes Baghdad's proposal to inspect mail and cargo sent to U.S. forces.
StarTribune
posted by madtom at 11:11 PM
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