Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
New York Times
June 16, 2008 By Alissa J. Rubin and Suadad al-Salhy
BAGHDAD — Discussions among Iraqi politicians on the country’s long-term security agreement with the United States were under way over the weekend, but it will take many weeks and more likely months before the agreement is completed, people close to the negotiations said.
American officials would like a deal by the end of July, before the Democratic and Republican national conventions. But for Iraqis, who have an election law to complete in the next month so they can prepare for an election of their own in the fall, that seems like a tight deadline.
“None of the articles have yet been agreed to,” said Fouad Massoun, a Kurd who is involved in the discussions. “The negotiations are in the primary stage.”
Meeting the July 31 deadline “will be very difficult,” said Humam Hamoudi, a powerful member of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a Shiite party that backs the government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki.
The agreement will regulate the relationship between the American military and the Iraqis after the expiration at the end of the year of a United Nations resolution authorizing the presence of foreign troops in the country.
The latest draft of the new bilateral agreement offered by the Americans made some significant concessions but in several important areas did not move close enough to Iraqi demands, according to several participants in the Iraqi committee that is meeting regularly to discuss the pact. They consulted for several hours on Saturday and agreed that Mr. Maliki should lead the negotiations.
The overarching question is how much control Iraq will have over the activities of the American military on Iraqi soil.
The Americans have said they will allow civilian contractors to be held accountable under Iraqi law, said Mahmoud Othman, a member of the Political Council for National Security. He said they had also agreed to hand over to the Iraqis people captured by American soldiers and accused of crimes. Such detainees are now held in American facilities. They will also transfer suspects already held in American detention centers to the Iraqis, Mr. Othman said.
But that leaves many practical questions unanswered. There are now roughly 21,000 detainees in American custody; if they were transferred to Iraqi custody, where would they go? The Iraqis do not have facilities for them, and it would not be easy for Americans to hand over their detention centers at Camp Cropper and Camp Bucca to the Iraqis.
The Iraqis appear to have agreed to allow the Americans to continue to control their airspace because the Iraqis lack the extensive flight control expertise and equipment necessary, said Mr. Othman and another member of the Political Council for National Security.
When Iraqis say they want their sovereignty respected, they are talking in part about having the power to set the terms of the relationship between the United States and Iraq. For instance, will American soldiers be able to undertake military operations as they see fit, as they do now?
The Iraqis are discussing possible compromises.
“One idea is to have a joint Iraqi-American committee that would approve all operations,” Mr. Hamoudi said.
Although the United States has agreements around the world with countries about the behavior of American soldiers stationed on foreign soil, including those with many American troops, like South Korea, Japan and Germany, none involve soldiers carrying out active combat operations.
Another reason the Iraqis believe it will take some time to complete a pact is that they have been visiting other countries with American bases, to look at their security agreements. The Iraqis want to hire European and American legal consultants to review those and their own proposed security agreement with the Americans.
June 16, 2008 By Alissa J. Rubin and Suadad al-Salhy
BAGHDAD — Discussions among Iraqi politicians on the country’s long-term security agreement with the United States were under way over the weekend, but it will take many weeks and more likely months before the agreement is completed, people close to the negotiations said.
American officials would like a deal by the end of July, before the Democratic and Republican national conventions. But for Iraqis, who have an election law to complete in the next month so they can prepare for an election of their own in the fall, that seems like a tight deadline.
“None of the articles have yet been agreed to,” said Fouad Massoun, a Kurd who is involved in the discussions. “The negotiations are in the primary stage.”
Meeting the July 31 deadline “will be very difficult,” said Humam Hamoudi, a powerful member of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a Shiite party that backs the government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki.
The agreement will regulate the relationship between the American military and the Iraqis after the expiration at the end of the year of a United Nations resolution authorizing the presence of foreign troops in the country.
The latest draft of the new bilateral agreement offered by the Americans made some significant concessions but in several important areas did not move close enough to Iraqi demands, according to several participants in the Iraqi committee that is meeting regularly to discuss the pact. They consulted for several hours on Saturday and agreed that Mr. Maliki should lead the negotiations.
The overarching question is how much control Iraq will have over the activities of the American military on Iraqi soil.
The Americans have said they will allow civilian contractors to be held accountable under Iraqi law, said Mahmoud Othman, a member of the Political Council for National Security. He said they had also agreed to hand over to the Iraqis people captured by American soldiers and accused of crimes. Such detainees are now held in American facilities. They will also transfer suspects already held in American detention centers to the Iraqis, Mr. Othman said.
But that leaves many practical questions unanswered. There are now roughly 21,000 detainees in American custody; if they were transferred to Iraqi custody, where would they go? The Iraqis do not have facilities for them, and it would not be easy for Americans to hand over their detention centers at Camp Cropper and Camp Bucca to the Iraqis.
The Iraqis appear to have agreed to allow the Americans to continue to control their airspace because the Iraqis lack the extensive flight control expertise and equipment necessary, said Mr. Othman and another member of the Political Council for National Security.
When Iraqis say they want their sovereignty respected, they are talking in part about having the power to set the terms of the relationship between the United States and Iraq. For instance, will American soldiers be able to undertake military operations as they see fit, as they do now?
The Iraqis are discussing possible compromises.
“One idea is to have a joint Iraqi-American committee that would approve all operations,” Mr. Hamoudi said.
Although the United States has agreements around the world with countries about the behavior of American soldiers stationed on foreign soil, including those with many American troops, like South Korea, Japan and Germany, none involve soldiers carrying out active combat operations.
Another reason the Iraqis believe it will take some time to complete a pact is that they have been visiting other countries with American bases, to look at their security agreements. The Iraqis want to hire European and American legal consultants to review those and their own proposed security agreement with the Americans.