by Damozel | A month ago, the agreement for extending the American mandate in Iraq seemed to be nearing completion after Bush made a number of concessions to Iraqis (including an end-of-2011 troop withdrawal deadline). (NYT) It's now at risk over a remaining point of contention: immunity of American troops and military contractors from prosecution by the Iraqi government. (NYT)
Funny: I thought the Bush agreement had conceded the point as regards military contractors and were just fighting over military contractors? Here's a quote from an August 21 article in The Wall Street Journal:
The administration also dropped its insistence that American contractors remain immune from Iraqi law. Western contractors -- especially those working for Blackwater, which is under investigation for a deadly shooting last year -- are deeply unpopular in Iraq...One of the last remaining roadblocks had been whether U.S. military personnel would enjoy immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law. Mr. Humood, Iraq's chief negotiator on the agreement, said joint committees of U.S. and Iraqi officials will be formed to resolve such issues when cases arise.. .(WSJ)
Condi for one seems a bit tetchy over the delay. "“I just want to emphasize we’ll have agreement when we have agreement,” Ms. Rice said..." (NYT) Heh. Reminds me of my mom after being asked for the 10th time when supper would be ready.
The disagreements threaten a capstone of President Bush’s Iraq policy during his remaining months in office....
Ali al-Adeeb, a member of the Dawa party and deputy head of Mr. Maliki’s political bloc in Parliament, spoke in an interview of repeated American offenses, both real and symbolic. He cited the use of palaces and cultural sites as American bases and headquarters, disrespect for Iraqi women during searches and killings of Iraqis who ventured too close to patrols.
He said the Iraqis were insisting on limiting immunity “because the Americans are moving about in a chaotic way in Iraq without consulting with the Iraqi government.”
He added, “They arrest whomever they want, and they commit all sorts of mistakes without being accountable.”(NYT)
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