IRAQ: Iraqis say many challenges await U.S. president-elect Barack Obama in Iraq and they urge him to fulfil his promise to withdraw american troops

Record ID: 1543277

  • Title: IRAQ: Iraqis say many challenges await U.S. president-elect Barack Obama in Iraq and they urge him to fulfil his promise to withdraw american troops
  • Date: 5th November 2008
  • Summary: (W2) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (NOVEMBER 5, 2008) (REUTERS) BAGHDAD Al-FIRDOUS SQUARE SQUARE AND MOSQUE TRAFFIC IN STREET TRAFFIC NEAR Al-FIRDOUS SQUARE LAWMAKER MITHAL AL-ALOUSI TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWMAKER MITHAL AL-ALOUSI SAYING: "Mr president, we are so happy to have you in the White House. We believe, we in Iraq, that the result of the real election will be here in Baghdad. We will see if the Iraqi-American partnership can be exist. We will see if you can face the Iranian threats, the Iranian Fascist, the terrorist al-Qaeda and those threats international-wide." LAWMAKER MUFEED AL-JAZA'ERI, THE COMMUNIST PARTY LIST, IN HIS OFFICE EMBLEM OF COMMUNIST PARTY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LAWMAKER MUFEED AL-JAZA'ERI, SAYING: "I hope that the new president of the United States of America will handle the issue of the American-Iraqi ties with wisdom and keenness and ensure that the pact, which is expected to be agreed on by our two countries, will yield just and balanced results that can ensure full national independence and sovereignty for Iraq. I also hope he will work towards ensuring a withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Iraq in accordance with a carefully meditated and agreed upon timetable." ANALYST WILLIAM WARDA SITTING IN HIS OFFICE IRAQI FLAG AND PICTURES OF REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE JOHN MCCAIN AND BARACK OBAMA ON COMPUTER MONITOR (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ANALYST WILLIAM WARDA, SAYING: "I think the new president should take the moral or the ethical responsibility to change the situation. The withdrawal (of U.S. forces) from Iraq will be a disaster for Iraq. I think the Americans should fulfil stability and help the Iraqi people"
  • Embargoed: 20th November 2008 16:36
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA3DHO4UHPRSVLOKZASIK955AG5
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Iraqi lawmakers and analysts said on Wednesday (November 5) they hoped U.S. president-elect Barack Obama would face a set of tough challenges including the withdrawal of U.S. troops from their country.
    Obama captured the White House on Tuesday (November 4) after an extraordinary two-year election campaign, defeating Republican John McCain to make history as the first black U.S. president.
    Obama will be sworn in as the 44th U.S. president on January 20, 2009 and will face a crush of immediate challenges, from tackling an economic crisis to ending the war in Iraq and trying to overhaul the U.S. health care system.
    Secular Sunni lawmaker Mithal Alusi said that Iraq would be the acid test for Obama.

    "Mr president, we are so happy to have you in the White House. We believe, we in Iraq, that the result of the real election will be here in Baghdad. We will see if the Iraqi-American partnership can be exist. We will see if you can face the Iranian threats, the Iranian Fascist, the terrorist al Qaeda and those threats international-wide," Alousi said.
    Parliament member Mufeed al-Jaza'iri urged the U.S. President-elect to work for setting a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.

    "I hope that the new president of the United States of America would handle the issue of the American-Iraqi ties with wisdom and keenness and to ensure that the pact, which is expected to be signed by our two countries, yield just and balanced results that can ensure full national independence and sovereignty for Iraq. I also hope he would work to ensure a withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Iraq in accordance with a carefully meditated and agreed upon timetable," Jaza'iri, a communist, said.
    However, like many Iraqi people , Iraqi analyst William Warda viewed as a "disaster" the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
    Obama has promised to restore U.S. leadership in the world by working closely with foreign allies, to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq in the first 16 months of his term and to bolster U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan.
    Residents of the Shi''ite area of Sadr city echoed the call for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

    "We call for the new U.S. president Barack not to adopt the Bush's madbrain policy. We want new policy that will work on pulling troops out of Iraq," said Abdulrahim Kadhim, a resident from Sadr city.
    Abu Ghadeer called for the new president deal with neighbouring countries interfering in Iraq's internal affairs.

    "My message is to put a timetable for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, this is the first thing. The second thing is that we do not want any neighbouring and European countries to interfere in Iraq's affairs because they are responsible for the things that happened in Iraq when they invaded Iraq. They are responsible for every crime that happened in Iraq," he added.
    Some Iraqis have expressed worry about U.S. forces leaving too quickly.
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