U.S. Congress: Iraq does not welcome the presence of the United States at home
U.S. Congress: Iraq does not welcome the presence of the United States at home
On: Sun 07/01/2012 2:14
Translation: Ali Abd al-Khaliq
asked Iraq for the continued presence of large numbers of Americans on its territory, even with the Foreign Ministry to reduce the size of its mission over the next sixteen months. Experts in the government informed the U.S. Congress that Iraq is making life more difficult on the U.S. embassy in several styles, which indicates a duplication of relations with Washington at a time of fear in which critics of the approach to Iran over Iraq.
Says Michael Kurtz from the Office of Accountability of the U.S. government in one of the hearings “plans of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and (Defense Department) to the presence of an American-run civilian authorities in Iraq, but Iraq’s commitment towards this presence is still not clear.” There are also doubts about Iraq’s desire to keep the thousands of reconstruction projects mandated and funded by taxpayers, the Americans, and is an ambitious multi-billion dollar is designed to leave the imprint “Made in America” can not be wiped out in Iraq after the invasion.
in December to withdraw President Obama last U.S. forces and thus ended the US-led invasion of Iraq after nine years of war. Critics of the move say it has reduced American influence in Baghdad, despite large investments in the country. Insists the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, it wants good relations with the United States and has signed a contract worth $ 6 billion to buy F-16s the U.S. but at the same time has close ties with Iran, which is considered an enemy of the United States.
wonder the Baghdad government about the size and and site security needs of the U.S. adult sites 14 sites in the country and has signed only five land use agreements are legally binding. The U.S. diplomatic mission in Baghdad, is the world’s largest cadre of 16 thousand, but most of the bodies and the protection of the user to feed two thousand Americans in Iraq. With which the security situation is still volatile as explosions that kill thousands of citizens, the stability of the situation in Baghdad is expected to be down more in the U.S. mission staff by November 2013. Says Patrick Kennedy, undersecretary of state for administration, “We will cut the number of more than 16 thousand to 11.500, or about 25% in the number of direct use and 30% in the number of contractors.” Although the State Department has reduced the logistical problems of perpetuating the embassy, which is a sprawling complex is located on the banks of the Tigris River in the heart of Baghdad, but the members of Congress believe that the challenges are still great. A study carried out by the Inspector General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the Iraqi security forces are “normally” arrest security contractors with the United States at the checkpoints, thereby hindering the convoys that provide the basic requirements of the Embassy and from Kuwait, while restricting Iraq’s airspace displays routes evacuation possible risk. Harold says Giselle agent of the Inspector General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that his office “is still worried about the safety of U.S. government personnel and contractors in Iraq.” Revealed testimony, Stuart Bowen, Special Inspector General for reconstruction in Iraq, said “thousands of projects accomplished by the United States and handed over to the Iraqi government will not be perpetuated, and thus will fail to meet their intended purpose.”
Part of the problem stems from the lack of databases designed to follow up the projects and that through which the Inspector General discovered the loss of $ 20 billion from the funds of enterprises, which makes it difficult for the Iraqis to know what is available from them.
wants members of Congress to develop what can be deduced from the lessons of the Iraqi experience before the planned withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014, where they learned that there is much to be to learn from Iraq.
n for: New York Times
Source: almadapaper