- Title: IRAQ: IRAQIS SAY WITHDRAWAL OF U.S. FORCES WILL CAUSE A SECURITY VACUUM
- Date: 30th June 2005
- Summary: (BN06) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JUNE 29, 2005)(REUTERS) 1. SLV CONVOY OF U.S. HUMVEES PASSING THROUGH MAIN STREET IN CENTRAL BAGHDAD; SLV TRAFFIC AT "MONUMENT OF LIBERTY" IN CENTRAL BAGHDAD; SLV MORE OF STREET SCENE 0.23 2. MV JAMEEL HAIDER, OWNER OF LIBERTY AT BAB AL-SHARJI 0.28 3. (SOUNDBITE)(Aabic), JAMEEL HAIDER, SAYING: "Definitely the withdrawal of the American forces will participate partially (in maintaining security) but in fact the Iraqi forces, the Iraqi army and other security forces are not ready now and not well-equipped in a way that enable them to stand up to the organised terrorist operations, which are backed by all neighbouring countries and non-neighbouring ones." 0.50 4. SLV "LIBERTY MONUMENT " IN THE CENTRE OF BAB ALSHARJI IN BAGHDAD 0.56 5. (SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) ABDUL KARIM ABBAS, JOURNALIST, SAYING: "The withdrawal of the American forces is not in the interest of the Iraqi party and not in the interest of the elected Iraqi government. Only when we have a strong and well-equipped Iraqi army and security forces capable of maintaining security the American forces could withdraw without posing any threats to the Iraqi people and the interests of the Iraqi people in the future." 1.13 6. MV TRAFFIC POLICEMAN DIRECTING TRAFFIC 1.17 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 15th July 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD,IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA46KNYF2RUI37570BV0NDCBSJ2
- Story Text: Iraqis say withdrawal of U.S. forces will cause
security vacuum.
Iraqis, tired of relentless suicide and car bomb
attacks said that the withdrawal of the U.S. forces could
led to a further deterioration in the security situation
and jeopardize Iraqi forces' plans to maintain control.
U.S. President George Bush said in a major address on
Tuesday (June 28) night that he had no plans to send more
U.S. troops to Iraq to bolster the 138,000 already there,
saying it would "undermine our strategy of encouraging
Iraqis to take the lead in this fight."
"Definitely the withdrawal of the American forces will
participate partially (in maintaining security) but, in
fact, the Iraqi forces, the Iraqi army and other security
forces are not ready now and not well-equipped in a way
that enable them to stand up to the organised terrorist
operations, which are backed by all neighbouring countries
and non-neighbouring ones."
Bush also argued against setting a deadline for a U.S.
withdrawal as some members of the U.S. Congress have
demanded.
"Setting an artificial deadline would send the wrong
message to the Iraqis, who need to know that America will
not leave before the job is done," he said.
Most of the Iraqi people said that the formation of a
strong and fully equipped army could speed up the
withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Iraq.
"The withdrawal of the American forces is not in the
interest of the Iraqi party and not in the interest of the
elected Iraqi government. Only when we have a strong and
well-equipped Iraqi army and security forces capable of
maintaining security the American forces could withdraw
without posing any threats to the Iraqi people and the
interests of the Iraqi people in the future,"
said Abdul Karim Abbas, a Baghdad citizen.
Violence has worsened in the two months since the
Shi'ite-led government of Ibrahim Jaafari took office, and
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reiterated on Monday
it would be up to Iraqis, not U.S. forces, to defeat an
insurgency that could last many years.
Many in the U.S. Congress, including some in Bush's
Republican Party, have begun calling for a timetable for
U.S. forces to withdraw from Iraq as opinion polls show the
conflict is becoming increasingly unpopular at home. The
White House says there is no timetable to pull out and that
setting one would play into the hands of the guerrillas
A complete or partial U.S. withdrawal would put
pressure on Jaafari's government and its hastily assembled
forces to defeat the insurgents or make peace with them.
U.S. forces and their allies have begun to train an
Iraqi army and say they have built up more than 100
battalions of Iraqi troops. But, in a country that once had
the world's third biggest army, the insurgents are very
heavily armed and include foreigners linked to Osama bin
Laden's al Qaeda, sworn to kill Shi'ites and Westerners
alike to establish a Sunni caliphate.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
