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Thousands of US personnel to stay in Iraq
Tue Dec 13, 2011 2:53PM GMT
A spokesperson for the Sadr party in Iraq denounces the US announcement that it has approval to station 15,000 embassy personnel in Iraq.
Press TV talks with Saleh al-Obeidi, Sadr movement spokesperson in Baghdad who denounces US spokesperson Mr. Michael McClellan's publicly released statement that the Iraqi government has approved US embassy personnel to a number of 15,000. The Sadr party restates its warning that such a number will not be tolerated and would be seen as a humiliation to the people of Iraq. The interview expands into US confusion over what it thinks it has achieved after a decade of war imposed on the country. Following is a transcript of the interview.
Press TV: US President Barak Obama said Washington will pull out all of its troops from Iraq, but there are reports that 15,000 employees will remain at the huge US embassy in Baghdad in addition to several thousands of private security contractors or mercenaries as they're also known.
What would be the Sadr movement's reaction if these troops continue to stay in your country?
Saleh al-Obeidi: Until now the news that a big number like 15,000 or 20,000 personnel from the American embassy staying in Iraq is still not assured. But, at the same time, we assure that we call for a working balance between the relations of America and Iraq and we refuse such a big number, especially if there is a number of military high ranking persons working out of agencies that we think will humiliate the Iraqi sovereignty in all ways.
So from our side we think that Iraq has to perform balanced relations with America and refuse any kind of expanded number of Americans inside Iraq because it means that the Iraqi decisions would be under the pressure of Americans.
So, we call for a small number in the American embassy in Iraq and at the same time it has been said before that if military personalities and military soldiers or military troops stay in Iraq under any title, it means a humiliation and a breaking of the treaty that happened between Iraq and America - which gives our party (justification) to continue fighting the Americans in the Iraqi streets and on Iraqi ground.
Press TV: The US embassy's spokesperson in Baghdad, Mr. Michael McClellan on December 10th, he said that the current employees of the US embassy count of about 15,000 by the knowledge and approval of the Iraqi government and he declared that US embassies in other countries have the same number of employees as well. That was reiterated again today by President Obama. What is your reaction to that?
Saleh al-Obeidi: As I told you the Iraqi government hasn't said their word and they postponed their discussion with American diplomatic channels until after the withdrawal of American troops. As they pretend as the government - the Iraqi exterior minister - pretends that we will discuss this subject with the Americans after the withdrawal of American troops because they think that the most important thing during this year is the withdrawal especially.
From our side we refuse this big number and not only us, but other parties we think also refuse this big number of Americans in Iraq.
Press TV: The last question I want to put to you is something about President Obama saying when he was asked what America has achieved in Iraq and why it invaded Iraq. He said that history would judge the US decision to invade Iraq and of course what has been achieved from this war. He said that the US is now leaving Iraq a self-governing state, although there are challenges.
As a member of the Iraqi society after these long years of war - what do you think it has achieved for your country?
Saleh al-Obeidi: It is well known that Obama himself is not supporting, too much, any kind of fight in Iraq; any kind of continued fighting in Iraq because he has given many words to his people that the war in Iraq will be ended.
At the same time we think that many important things they thought they can achieve inside Iraq, it can't be achieved. They can't even keep a big number or some numbers of American soldiers inside Iraq after 2011.
So, there is a kind of hesitation; a kind of mistrust - they don't know whether they have done mistakes in Iraq or whether they have done good, so I think that is why he postponed all the judgment to history.
SC/JR
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Tue Dec 13, 2011 2:53PM GMT
A spokesperson for the Sadr party in Iraq denounces the US announcement that it has approval to station 15,000 embassy personnel in Iraq.
Press TV talks with Saleh al-Obeidi, Sadr movement spokesperson in Baghdad who denounces US spokesperson Mr. Michael McClellan's publicly released statement that the Iraqi government has approved US embassy personnel to a number of 15,000. The Sadr party restates its warning that such a number will not be tolerated and would be seen as a humiliation to the people of Iraq. The interview expands into US confusion over what it thinks it has achieved after a decade of war imposed on the country. Following is a transcript of the interview.
Press TV: US President Barak Obama said Washington will pull out all of its troops from Iraq, but there are reports that 15,000 employees will remain at the huge US embassy in Baghdad in addition to several thousands of private security contractors or mercenaries as they're also known.
What would be the Sadr movement's reaction if these troops continue to stay in your country?
Saleh al-Obeidi: Until now the news that a big number like 15,000 or 20,000 personnel from the American embassy staying in Iraq is still not assured. But, at the same time, we assure that we call for a working balance between the relations of America and Iraq and we refuse such a big number, especially if there is a number of military high ranking persons working out of agencies that we think will humiliate the Iraqi sovereignty in all ways.
So from our side we think that Iraq has to perform balanced relations with America and refuse any kind of expanded number of Americans inside Iraq because it means that the Iraqi decisions would be under the pressure of Americans.
So, we call for a small number in the American embassy in Iraq and at the same time it has been said before that if military personalities and military soldiers or military troops stay in Iraq under any title, it means a humiliation and a breaking of the treaty that happened between Iraq and America - which gives our party (justification) to continue fighting the Americans in the Iraqi streets and on Iraqi ground.
Press TV: The US embassy's spokesperson in Baghdad, Mr. Michael McClellan on December 10th, he said that the current employees of the US embassy count of about 15,000 by the knowledge and approval of the Iraqi government and he declared that US embassies in other countries have the same number of employees as well. That was reiterated again today by President Obama. What is your reaction to that?
Saleh al-Obeidi: As I told you the Iraqi government hasn't said their word and they postponed their discussion with American diplomatic channels until after the withdrawal of American troops. As they pretend as the government - the Iraqi exterior minister - pretends that we will discuss this subject with the Americans after the withdrawal of American troops because they think that the most important thing during this year is the withdrawal especially.
From our side we refuse this big number and not only us, but other parties we think also refuse this big number of Americans in Iraq.
Press TV: The last question I want to put to you is something about President Obama saying when he was asked what America has achieved in Iraq and why it invaded Iraq. He said that history would judge the US decision to invade Iraq and of course what has been achieved from this war. He said that the US is now leaving Iraq a self-governing state, although there are challenges.
As a member of the Iraqi society after these long years of war - what do you think it has achieved for your country?
Saleh al-Obeidi: It is well known that Obama himself is not supporting, too much, any kind of fight in Iraq; any kind of continued fighting in Iraq because he has given many words to his people that the war in Iraq will be ended.
At the same time we think that many important things they thought they can achieve inside Iraq, it can't be achieved. They can't even keep a big number or some numbers of American soldiers inside Iraq after 2011.
So, there is a kind of hesitation; a kind of mistrust - they don't know whether they have done mistakes in Iraq or whether they have done good, so I think that is why he postponed all the judgment to history.
SC/JR
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