Posted on 06/15/2006 1:40:19 AM PDT by LibWhacker
Iraq's vice president has asked President Bush for a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq, the Iraqi president's office said.
Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, a Sunni, made the request during his meeting with Bush on Tuesday, when the U.S. president made a surprise visit to Iraq.
"I supported him in this," President Jalal Talabani said in a statement released Wednesday. Al-Hashimi's representatives could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.
Bush made it clear during his visit that the U.S. military presence — now at about 132,000 troops — would continue, though he stressed the fate of the Iraqis was in their own hands.
Al-Hashimi also said there were "promises to free about 3,500 detainees" by June 26, the statement from Talabani's office said. That number that would be above the 2,500 to be freed as part of a bid by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to soothe Sunni Arabs over allegations of random detentions and maltreatment at the hands of the Shiite-led government.
More than 450 detainees were being released Thursday as part of al-Maliki's national reconciliation efforts, according to the U.S. military.
The vice president also complained about a number of covert prisons run by the Shiite-led Interior Ministry "where many violations are committed," according to the statement from the president's office.
Such detention centers have been discovered in recent months and al-Hashimi said they "contradict the principles on which the new Iraqi is being built and quick steps should be taken to close them."
The vice president stressed the need for an "emergency plan to tackle the overall issue of detainees (held by) the interior and defense ministries" and for the release of all detainees held without cause, the statement said.
>>raq's vice president has asked President Bush for a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq, the Iraqi president's office said.
Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, a Sunni, made the request during his meeting with Bush on Tuesday, when the U.S. president made a surprise visit to Iraq.
"I supported him in this," President Jalal Talabani said in a statement released Wednesday. Al-Hashimi's representatives could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. <<
Isn't our position still that we'll leave in the Iraqi government asks us to?
My wife asked me the same thing.
Yes, afaik, that's still our position.
Asking for a timeline is reasonable. Assuming that the question means they want us to leave is not reasonable. In fact, it could mean the opposite, they would want to know how long they have before they are completely on their own.
>>In fact, it could mean the opposite, they would want to know how long they have before they are completely on their own.<<
An excellent point.
Remember, the ME political mindset isn't as advanced/cynical as the West's is.
This is a political grandstand move intended to convince those with insurgent/terrorist tendencies that the government *isn't* the puppet state that the Islamonazis are saying it is, nothing more. Otherwise, they would be making real demands for us to leave - they *know* we're propping them up until they can stand on their own. And until they can take care of their 'personnel problems' on their own.
If we (and they) can pull this off, this will be the end of the Middle East as we know it.
I think it's also a way of undermining the charge that the US is there to steal the oil, or use Iraq as a base to attack Muslims in the Middle East. The US Says, hey let's go six months without a car bomb, a kidnapping, cops executing people in the middle of the street, political executions and we'll be gone.
It's done as indicated for domestic political consumption but at the same time, I can't help but think the Sunnis are looking for a lifeline.
The one that can give them a chance to slaughter and kill and retake control and destroy the new republic.
That is their ultimate goal. They have not moved away from that even at 20% of the country's population, they are focused on mayhem.
I'll feel better when I see their howls of pain and continous protests as victims.
Then the other 80% of the population can sleep better.
But don't expect the media to tell you that. Look how long it took them to even let the American public see the truth of who the Sunni are and what they've been doing.
If they are seen as our puppets the government will never succeed.
The new leaders need to have the support of their own citizens.
Bingo. They are pandering to the Sunni insurgents.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.