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Iraq celebrates US troop withdrawal Sun Jan 8, 2012 2:9AM GMT
Iraq's Dawa Party has held a ceremony to celebrate the withdrawal of the last US troops from Iraq after more than eight years of occupation, Press TV reports.
Members of the Dawa Party, which is led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, held a special ceremony in Baghdad on Saturday to celebrate the withdrawal of the last US troops from the country on December 18, 2011. They also praised the Iraqi security forces for their efforts to eradicate terrorism in Iraq.
The participants of the ceremony said the fact that the US troop withdrawal was completed on schedule before the December 31 deadline was the reward from the Iraqi government to the Iraqi people and security forces for their sacrifices since 2003, when the US-led war began.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Iraqi National Alliance, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, said the withdrawal had restored Iraq's sovereignty and the country had now entered a new era.
“This is a new day for Iraq [due to] the withdrawal of the last US soldier from the country. This will bring the country to a new political and security stage,” al-Jaafari added.
Maryam al-Rayes, an advisor of Prime Minister al-Maliki, said the Iraqis have paid a heavy price to attain their freedom and reestablish the country's sovereignty.
“We are here to mark the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. This is the reward for the Iraqi people and security forces for their sacrifices,” al-Rayes added.
The Iraqi government has declared December 31, which was the deadline for the US troop withdrawal, a national day.
"I declare this day, the 31st of December, on which the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq is complete, a national day," Maliki said on December 31.
The last US troops, except for military contingents attached to the US Embassy in Baghdad and US consulates in the country, left Iraq on December 18, 2011.
According to the Iraq Body Count Website, the civilian death toll exceeded 150,000 during the 2003-2011 occupation.
HSH/HGL
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Iraq's Dawa Party has held a ceremony to celebrate the withdrawal of the last US troops from Iraq after more than eight years of occupation, Press TV reports.
Members of the Dawa Party, which is led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, held a special ceremony in Baghdad on Saturday to celebrate the withdrawal of the last US troops from the country on December 18, 2011. They also praised the Iraqi security forces for their efforts to eradicate terrorism in Iraq.
The participants of the ceremony said the fact that the US troop withdrawal was completed on schedule before the December 31 deadline was the reward from the Iraqi government to the Iraqi people and security forces for their sacrifices since 2003, when the US-led war began.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Iraqi National Alliance, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, said the withdrawal had restored Iraq's sovereignty and the country had now entered a new era.
“This is a new day for Iraq [due to] the withdrawal of the last US soldier from the country. This will bring the country to a new political and security stage,” al-Jaafari added.
Maryam al-Rayes, an advisor of Prime Minister al-Maliki, said the Iraqis have paid a heavy price to attain their freedom and reestablish the country's sovereignty.
“We are here to mark the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. This is the reward for the Iraqi people and security forces for their sacrifices,” al-Rayes added.
The Iraqi government has declared December 31, which was the deadline for the US troop withdrawal, a national day.
"I declare this day, the 31st of December, on which the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq is complete, a national day," Maliki said on December 31.
The last US troops, except for military contingents attached to the US Embassy in Baghdad and US consulates in the country, left Iraq on December 18, 2011.
According to the Iraq Body Count Website, the civilian death toll exceeded 150,000 during the 2003-2011 occupation.
HSH/HGL
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
