| Sep 27 @ 5:03 AM |
Iraq Comments On Troop WIthdrawal
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nah12
Posts: 3,973
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 amazing it seems McCain and Gen Petraeus did get it right maybe .... 
Iraq hopes economic crisis won't affect US troops UNITED NATIONS - Iraq's foreign minister says "there is a new world now" because of the global financial crisis and he hopes it won't lead to an immediate withdrawal of the 146,000 American troops in his country.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said a precipitous withdrawal could have consequences for the country and the region that everyone would regret afterward.
Zebari is due to meet Saturday with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in New York, where he was attending the U.N. General Assembly's annual ministerial meeting.
He said he didn't have any indications that the U.S. administration was thinking about pushing for a speedier exit from Iraq, where it has spent more than $550 billion, because of the financial meltdown.
"But this is the logic of the dance," Zebari told the AP on Friday. "Nobody anticipated this major crisis, and still there are ongoing efforts to overcome it, to contain its impact, bail out some of these companies with a huge infusion of cash. But the crisis is evident everywhere."
"This has nothing to do with liking this administration or that administration, or this president or that president, something has landed uninvited," he said. "I think there is a new world now after this crisis, and one has to be realistic about changes in attitudes and policies due to this huge crisis that has affected the world economy."
President Bush's administration is seeking a $700 billion bailout — the largest in U.S. history — which has raised widespread concern in Congress and fears that the United States is on the verge of a major recession.
Asked whether he was concerned that the current financial crisis might lead the U.S. government to push for a speedier exit than Iraq might want, as a cost-saving measure, Zebari said: "I don't know."
"We hope it would not have a dramatic impact to cause ... drastic and calculated decisions that everybody would regret afterwards," he said.
By drastic and calculated, was he referring to an immediate withdrawal?
"Exactly, immediate precipitous withdrawal irrespective of any consequences," Zebari said. "I think there is high stakes for everybody involved in the region, that every administration will take account of."
Iraq's top diplomat said the government still hopes to sign a long-term security pact with the United States before the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 4.
"We are talking, the Iraqi and American side, and I think the draft agreement is almost done. What needs to be done is some political decisions by the leadership," Zebari said. "The window time is closing because we were hoping to get this agreement by the end of July and now we are in September. We haven't given up hope at all, but really still there is no final agreement."
The proposed agreement, which has been under negotiation for most of this year, would replace the U.N. mandate. Any agreement must be ratified by the Iraqi parliament.
The main sticking points include Iraqi objections to blanket immunity for U.S. troops and private contractors and demands for oversight over American forces during raids and detentions.
Zebari said that if it's not possible to reach agreement by the election the alternative is to go back to the U.N. Security Council to extend the mandate of the U.S.-led multinational force in Iraq, which expires on Dec. 31.
Asked whether the U.S. election was playing into the long-term strategic framework agreement with the United States, Zebari chuckled and said "I think it's present. Even if it's not in person, its soul is there."
Zebari said he told the two presidential candidates — Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain — that "it would have been in our interest to conclude this agreement before the end term of this administration and that was the whole plan."
He said he explained to both candidates that "as long as this agreement would not be binding for any future administration, that administration will benefit from having something at hand when it takes office."
Zebari described the security situation in Iraq as "fragile."
"We've turned the corner against terrorism, against preventing the country from falling into civil war or sectarian war or division. I think we've passed that," he said.
But he said the security gains must be augmented by political reconciliation, economic benefits for the people, provision of services and better governance.
"And the pace is slow, as you've seen in the past, so that's why people think they are not solid enough and they could be reversed."
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| Sep 27 @ 5:21 AM |
Iraq Comments On Troop WIthdrawal |
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Gman762
Posts: 3,291
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You know what I find very interesting is that the Demmies keep harping on this business of "Iraq has a surplus and should pay their share"...then, they turn right around and block US oil companies from bidding on Iraq oil contracts that are now going elsewhere (China for instance).
There can be no doubt that the Gen Petraeus' plan had a great impact in Iraq. The man is a master planner. Too bad they didn't have him from the get-go.
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| Sep 27 @ 5:31 AM |
Iraq Comments On Troop WIthdrawal
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nah12
Posts: 3,973
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True Gman ... it does seem the Dems can't get pass their own bias and will even shoot themselves in the foot over the oil in Iraq but then they want to yell about how it is everyone else fault for the oil crisis .... not their stupid crap .... the Iraqis tried to show some gratitude but NO way were they going to allow that it might show US gained a little from the war ....
Even with this Bailout if they really wanted to pass it the way "THEY" say it should be they know they have enough votes and could do so BUT they had rather play politics so maybe they can keep blaming every thing on Bush, McCain and the Republicans ... it truly is amazing
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| Sep 27 @ 6:36 AM |
Iraq Comments On Troop WIthdrawal |
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Nightowl001
Posts: 4,134
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You know what I find very interesting is that the Demmies keep harping on this business of "Iraq has a surplus and should pay their share"...then, they turn right around and block US oil companies from bidding on Iraq oil contracts that are now going elsewhere (China for instance).
Another ignorant argument that makes absolutely no sense. It doesn't matter if it's Chinese yuang or American dollars paying the Iraqis for oil contracts and their share of the oil revenues. No matter what currency is being traded for the oil, the Iraqis are supposed to be getting it and they are supposed to be paying us out of THEIR share.
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| Sep 27 @ 6:57 AM |
Iraq Comments On Troop WIthdrawal
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Gman762
Posts: 3,291
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Another ignorant argument that doesn't make sense from Mr Ignorant himself. Why should the Chinese get the contracts...why are the Demmiturds blocking US companies from reaping the ability to simply BID on contracts?
Maybe you need to read your history books Nighbuzzard...the Chinese obstructed us every step of the way in Iraq and never sent one tiny bit of support. That was our sacrifice to liberate the Iraqi people...not theirs.
Yet, the party of hate keeps cow-towing to the Chinese and rams it up our own arses any time they can...
Why doesn't the party of hate want us to have energy?
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| Sep 27 @ 7:13 AM |
Iraq Comments On Troop WIthdrawal |
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Nightowl001
Posts: 4,134
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why are the Demmiturds blocking US companies from reaping the ability to simply BID on contracts? And what does that have to do with the Iraqis paying us?
If you're referring to the mess from back in June and July, the Democrats blocked US companies from making deals on no-bid contracts. I'm unaware that any US oil companies have been told they can't bid on any oil leases the Iraqis offer up for bids. I don't suppose you have any documentation of this other than some right-wing head-up-their-tail blog for this, do you?
Here, I can even provide a link to what I'm saying: Democrats seek to block deals for Iraqi oil
A group of Democratic senators led by Charles E. Schumer of New York is appealing to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to block a set of contentious no-bid oil contracts that Iraq has decided to award to the Western oil giants Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP.
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| Sep 27 @ 7:37 AM |
Iraq Comments On Troop WIthdrawal
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Gallows_Humor
Posts: 8,063
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Nah started a perfectly good thread... and we go back to the oil wars..well...waffle this... 
PHOENIX —Friday, May 2, 2008
.. Republican John McCain was forced to clarify his comments Friday suggesting the Iraq war involved U.S. reliance on foreign oil. He said he was talking about the first Gulf War and not the current conflict.
At issue was a comment he made at a town hall-style meeting Friday morning in Denver.
“My friends, I will have an energy policy that we will be talking about, which will eliminate our dependence on oil from the Middle East that will prevent us from having ever to send our young men and women into conflict again in the Middle East,” McCain said.
The expected GOP nominee sought to clarify his comments later, after his campaign plane landed in Phoenix. He said he didn’t mean the U.S. went to war in Iraq five years ago over oil.
“No, no, I was talking about that we had fought the Gulf War for several reasons,” McCain told reporters.
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| Sep 27 @ 7:41 AM |
Iraq Comments On Troop WIthdrawal |
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Gallows_Humor
Posts: 8,063
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...
...Levin, a Michigan Democrat, has been an outspoken critic of the slow progress of reconstruction and an advocate of a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. His criticism Tuesday was echoed by Sen. John Warner, a Virginia Republican who is the former chairman and now a leading member of Levin's committee.
"Despite Iraq earning billions of dollars in oil revenue in the past five years, U.S. taxpayer money has been the overwhelming source of Iraq reconstruction funds," Warner said in a joint statement with Levin. "It is time for the sovereign government of Iraq, using its revenues, expenditures and surpluses, to fully assume the responsibility to provide essential services and improve the quality of life for the Iraqi people."
In its written response to the audit report, the Treasury Department said U.S. officials are working with Iraqis to address the issue, "and we believe progress is being made."
"The report shows Iraq's budget surplus is likely to grow significantly over the course of 2008, but it is equally important to realize that spending in Iraq is also increasing," Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary Andy Baukol wrote to the GAO. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/05/iraq.oil/index.html
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