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July 19, 2008
Iraqi Premier Praises
Obama's Pullout Plan
Hamburg
Speaking to a German magazine, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
has praised a plan by US presidential candidate Barack Obama to
withdraw US troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office.
In an interview to appear in its Monday issue, the news magazine Der
Spiegel asked him when US troops should leave.
"As far as we are concerned, as soon as possible. The US
presidential candidate Barack Obama has spoken of within 16 months.
We think that would be the right time frame, with some slight
variations," he said.
Asked if this was a recommendation to US voters to pick the
presumptive Democratic nominee Obama rather than the expected
Republican nominee John McCain, he said, "Whoever counts on shorter
periods in Iraq today is closer to reality."
"Artificially extending the stay of the US troops would create
problems. But I obviously don't want to give a voting
recommendation."
"Choosing a president is the business of Americans. It's the
business of Iraqis to say what they want done. The people and the
government are fairly united about this. There should be a limit on
the stay of the coalition forces," the Iraqi premier said.
Al-Maliki, who was due to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin
Tuesday, said he expected an agreement with Washington on troop
withdrawal before US President George W. Bush leaves office next
January.
"We are going to make a fresh start to these negotiations on a
better and clearer basis, because the first draft was not acceptable
to us," he said.
Al-Maliki agreed it had been a "basic problem" that the US had
sought immunity from prosecution for any crimes that might have been
committed by US soldiers in Iraq.
But the other issues, of how long the troops remained, and with what
powers, were "just as important," he said.
Maliki's remarks were released by Spiegel just a day after Bush
agreed to discuss a "time horizon" for the withdrawal of US forces.
Bush had in the past described a withdrawal timetable as dangerous,
but Washington appears to have shifted ground.
The White House said Bush and al-Maliki held a video conference
Thursday and agreed that because of improved security, the agreement
could include a "general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals
such as the resumption of Iraqi security control".
DPA
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July 19, 2008
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