Coming soon to US Embassy in Baghdad.
Posted on 10/23/2011 2:19:42 PM PDT by Hunton Peck
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s prime minister said Saturday that U.S. troops are leaving Iraq after nearly nine years of war because Baghdad rejected American demands that any U.S. military forces to stay would have to be shielded from prosecution or lawsuits.
The comments by Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, made clear that it was Iraq who refused to let the U.S. military remain under the Americans’ terms.
A day earlier, President Barack Obama had hailed the troops’ withdrawal as the result of his commitment — promised shortly after taking office in 2009 — to end the war that he once described as “dumb.”
“When the Americans asked for immunity, the Iraqi side answered that it was not possible,” al-Maliki told reporters in Baghdad. “The discussions over the number of trainers and the place of training stopped. Now that the issue of immunity was decided and that no immunity to be given, the withdrawal has started.”
Nearly 40,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, all of whom will withdraw by Dec. 31 — a deadline set in a 2008 security agreement between Baghdad and Washington.
But continued violence across Iraq, coupled with growing influence by the Shiite power Iran over the government in Baghdad, prompted the Obama administration earlier this year to push to keep thousands of U.S. troops here for years to come. The two nations negotiated for months over whether U.S. forces should stay — a politically delicate issue for Obama and al-Maliki, both of whom faced widespread opposition from their respective publics to continue a war that was never popular in either nation.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
We are sticking with the 2012 withdrawal date set by the Bush administration and the Iraqi government will not grant immunity to the very troops who liberated their nation from a tyrant.
Time to come home.
Obama HUSSEIN LIES to the American Public and the World yet again as he tries to destroy Western Civilization and replace it with 1st Century A.D. ISLAMIC SATAN WORSHIP and Barbaric Sharia Law!!!!!! Wake UP!! AMERICA!!!
Narcissistic, incompetent, fatherless, boob doesn’t know the meaning of truth.
Have fun Iraq, bye now! Don’t expect a Christmas card.
It should have been “Here's the deal. Our guys get full immunity and the ability to build permanent bases anywhere. In return, we won't drop a JDAM on your sorry ass.”
Why is it I get the feeling that this immunity issue was hatched by the Obama administration to give them cover for pulling the troops out. After a trillion dollars and thousands of lives, the left has once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory,
it’s cheaper to just bomb the ever living shiite out of these countries when they get out of line. our military philosophy should be “bombs on the ground, not boots”.
This admin said they wanted immunity for the troops..........................since when do they care about the troops? Just a lame excuse to make it seem like he kept a campaign promise. The deal was set already.
They don’t celebrate Christmas. So I don’t think they will miss the card. Anyway, you would have to mail it to the new boss in Tehran.
Ya’ll keep in mind this was not about “immunity” it was
probably about if US troops would be tried by Sharia Law.
It should have been no different than agreements we have
with with Japan, Germany, and many other nations around
the world.
Iraq, you have a democracy....as long as you can keep it.
As to that I have my doubts.
I’m just wondering where Obama is going to find jobs for
all these folks.
Coming soon to US Embassy in Baghdad.
This isn’t actually Obama’s fault. My perception is that a majority of Iraqi factions each saw American withdrawal as a chance to grab dictatorial power without pesky GI’s getting in the way. Bottom line is that Iraq will probably end up with a Saddam-style dictator within a decade. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. I believe we will soon discover that some countries get the leadership they deserve, that Saddam was the natural outgrowth of Iraqi culture.
Politically, it's a hot potato. Losing immunity in Iraq means other host countries will demand the same conditions, which becomes a huge political liability for Obama. Then there's the issue of GI's getting arrested and tried on host country soil. That has the potential to generate very ugly headlines for Obama, from a political standpoint. To the extent that Obama wants to be re-elected, he has to insist on immunity, whether or not he personally believes GI's should be immune from host country laws.
I bet if Bush was still in office, we would have gotten the soldier immunity.
Soon to be another client state of Iran.
I totally agree with your post.
The day it is even a question that our guys will be tried by Sharia...is the day we need to exit...quickly.
You are actually the first one I have seen to echo my own thoughts re: jobs. I guess it will be o.k. if they stay in the military...but my military friends and family are telling me many will leave due to the politcal uncertainty.
The Lyin’ King is jess doin’ what comes naturally for him.
Baghdad rejected American demands that any U.S. military forces to stay would have to be shielded from prosecution or lawsuits.
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