Sustained U.S. Presence Critical to Security, Iraqi Spokesman Says

By Tim Kilbride
Special to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2007 – Despite a desire for U.S. forces to ultimately leave Iraq, Iraqi leaders recognize the need for international support until their military is capable of operating independently, the Iraqi government’s official spokesman said today.

“The fight is beyond the capacity of the Iraqi troops,” Ali Aldabbagh told “bloggers” and online journalists during a conference call today.

When members of Iraq’s national assembly state their opposition to the long-term presence of international forces, he said, they do so without specifying a particular time for their withdrawal. Any timetables they might prescribe, he noted, apply to the Iraqi security forces and development of their capabilities.

“We feel there should be a timetable for building national security forces in order to be in a position to exercise force alone,” he said. “We are working on a program.”

“Most of the political groups here agreed that a premature withdrawal for the (foreign) troops… in Iraq is not good for Iraq,” Aldabbagh continued, because it would leave “a power gap, a power vacuum” which could be “filled by any other, probably neighboring, country.” he said.

While some politicians “do ask about having a timetable” for U.S. forces, he explained, most find that a “timetable is not wise right now.”

“The threat here in Iraq is the threat of terrorist groups,” Aldabbagh said, stressing that his government requires assistance training and equipping the Iraqi security forces to meet and combat this threat.

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