US, Iraq Engaged in Diplomatic Dance Over Troop Levels
The Obama administration denied a report Saturday that the U.S. has made the final decision to pull almost all of its troops from Iraq, in accordance with its year-end withdrawal deadline. The reported news seemed to have upset delicate continuing negotiations with the Iraqi government.
The Associated Press reported that the administration had decided on pulling out all except 160 soldiers, who would remain attached to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
The administration is denying that any decision has been reached concerning military training assignments involving the U.S. and Iraq, which would have some bearing on the amount of troops to remain.
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The White House and Pentagon both denied the report, which cited unnamed government sources as indicating the U.S. had decided against keeping a significant number of troops to train Iraqi security forces beyond the end of 2011.
According to Reuters, the U.S. and Iraq had been engaged in negotiations centered on the amount of troops that would be needed in this regard, perhaps several thousands, but the main sticking point has been an Iraqi refusal to grant U.S. military personnel legal immunity, which Washington has demanded.
It is reported that the Iraqis are still angered over the distasteful Abu Ghraib prison scandal, as well as Haditha, the city in which a number of Iraqi men, women and children were killed at the hands of U.S. Marines in 2005.
American officials are unwilling to risk having their forces face the prospect of appearing in an Iraqi court, and having to defend themselves in a prejudicial environment.
Throughout the negotiations, the Iraqis have adamantly refused to allow U.S. troops immunity from prosecution in Iraqi courts. The U.S., on the other hand, has refused to stay without this concession.
Accordingly, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has reportedly told U.S. military officials that he is unable to secure the votes in the Iraqi parliament necessary to provide immunity to the American trainers.
The White House issued a statement through spokesman Tommy Vietor:
"President Obama has repeatedly made it clear that we are committed to keeping our agreement with the Iraqi government to remove all of our troops by the end of this year."
Vietor added: "At the same time we're building a comprehensive partnership with Iraq under the Strategic Framework Agreement, including a robust security relationship, and discussions with the Iraqis about the nature of that relationship are ongoing."
