IRAQ: NATO concludes its seven-year training mission in Iraq, the day after the U.S. signs over its last base before a full pullout

Record ID: 511550

  • Title: IRAQ: NATO concludes its seven-year training mission in Iraq, the day after the U.S. signs over its last base before a full pullout
  • Date: 18th December 2011
  • Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (DECEMBER 17, 2011) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) NATO MEMBERS STANDING AT ATTENTION DURING CEREMONY/ SOLDIERS OF NATO CARRYING FLAGS AND MARCHING SOLDIERS CARRYING FLAGS OF NATO COUNTRIES LT. GENERAL MARQUIS HAINSE, OF NATO ALLIED JOINT FORCE COMMAND, SALUTING LT. GENERAL ROBERT CASLEN, HEAD OF NATO TRAINING MISSION IN IRAQ / CASLEN BEING AWARDED M
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq, Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA21BC9OJ1UNP69W10OSG99BD45
  • Story Text: The NATO training mission in Iraq concluded on Saturday (December 17), after more than seven years of working to build up new security forces in the country.
    Top Iraqi and NATO military commanders attended the ceremony held at a U.S. military base inside the heavily fortified Green Zone area in Baghdad Lieutenant General Robert Caslen said there had been much progress made during the partnership.
    "The mission of Iraq to fully govern, or to finally governs itself has become a reality. Its rule of law strengthened, the insurgents groups, including al-Qaeda of Iraq, are weakened, its police are trained and the Iraqi army is equipped. We salute the fact that Iraq has full responsibility to direct its own path, and to be sure the cost was high, high both for NATO as well as Iraqi people," he said.
    NATO ended its mission a day after American soldiers signed over their last military base to Iraqi officials, the U.S. troop pullout drawing to a swift end, nearly nine years after the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.
    The few thousand remaining U.S. troops are scheduled to leave Iraq before December 31, closing a U.S. military venture that cost the lives of nearly 4,500 U.S. soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis caught up in sectarian strife.
    For his part, Babeker Zebari, the chief of staff of the Iraqi army, said that Iraq has no fears of external threatens, because of the agreements and the strategic relations with the U.S., saying Iraqi security forces are ready to take security responsibility in the country.
    "I have no fears, because we have strategic relations with United States of America and we have an agreement with NATO .They worked hard to build up Iraq's army over the past eight years. We accepted serious challenges, and a few challenges remain ahead of us. The Iraqi police force and army are ready to maintain security in Iraq," he said.
    The NATO training mission in Iraq was set up in 2004 at the request of the Iraqi interim government, to provide training and advice for Iraqi security forces.
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