Iraq cabinet backs pact giving US troops 3 years - Reuters AlertNet

News Type: Event — Seeded on Sun Nov 16, 2008 5:17 PM EST

Article Source: alertnet.org

politics, iraq, withdrawal, status-of-forces, security-agreement

Iraq's cabinet approved a pact on Sunday that will let U.S. troops stay in the country until 2011, setting a final date to end a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
The pact, reached after nearly a year of gruelling negotiations with Washington, must still be approved by the Iraqi parliament, but Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said he expected that to happen by the end of the month.

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{"commentId":4088786,"authorDomain":"kahaire"}

Rella

I find this status of forces agreement to be very troubling. One of the most troubling things about this agreement is, to me, it allows Iraq jurisdiction over US soldiers who commit crimes while off-base and off-duty. And a joint US and Iraq committee decides whether an accused US soldier who was off-base was also off-duty. Explain to me WHY Iraq has any say in determining whether the soldier was on- or off-duty? And WHY would we allow a US soldier to be tried in Iraq? There's a military judicial system - use it.

I am also troubled by al-Sadr's threatening violence against US troops should this agreement pass in the Iraqi parliament.

The details of this agreement and the threat of increased violence against our troops very frightening. I am very glad that my brother and cousin will be on their way out of Iraq soon. I just hope they won't have to go back. But I'm not holding my breath for that.

{"commentId":4088786,"threadId":"420904","contentId":"2118203","authorDomain":"kahaire"}

1 vote

#1 - Sun Nov 16, 2008 5:41 PM EST

{"commentId":4088852,"authorDomain":"spiffie"}

spiffie

To be fair, US troops who commit crimes off duty in some other foreign jurisdictions are handed over for local trial and punishment, such as the case of the US soldier accused and convicted of rape in Okinawa, Japan.

{"commentId":4088852,"threadId":"420904","contentId":"2118203","authorDomain":"spiffie"}

1 vote

#1.1 - Sun Nov 16, 2008 5:50 PM EST

{"commentId":4088947,"authorDomain":"gamerk2"}

gamerk2

Not in Iraq; until now, all troops were immune from being charged with anything under Iraqi law unless the US turned them over.

And by the way, how often do you think US troops are off base AND off duty at the same time in Iraq?

Also note, its still unlikely that the parlament as a whole will pass the agreement as is.

{"commentId":4088947,"threadId":"420904","contentId":"2118203","authorDomain":"gamerk2"}

#1.2 - Sun Nov 16, 2008 6:02 PM EST

{"commentId":4088983,"authorDomain":"kahaire"}

Rella

I know that. But, to the best of my knowledge, that country doesn't get to decide whether the soldier is off-duty or not. But this is different. Unlike Japan, Iraq is an active war zone. Soldiers are sent back into action with confirmed cases of PTSD because the Army is strapped for available soldiers. In a war zone, with soldiers under a HUGE amount of stress in conditions that the rest of us can barely imagine, accidents and misjudgments happen. I don't think the soldiers should be penalized for the circumstances they find themselves in. And frankly, I don't trust the Iraqi trials to be fair, rather than a witch hunt seeking revenge. And I worry about our soldiers, especially women, in an Iraqi prison. They don't exactly have the best human rights record.

If Iraq were not a war zone and I felt we could rely on fair trials and proper treatment of prisoners, I would be less against it. But that's not the case, so I can't support it.

{"commentId":4088983,"threadId":"420904","contentId":"2118203","authorDomain":"kahaire"}

#1.3 - Sun Nov 16, 2008 6:06 PM EST

{"commentId":4088930,"authorDomain":"travelinfotog"}

travelinfotog

Rella

The U.S. is now just an occupying force. There is no "real" war in any sense. What are our combat troops still doing there is beyond me at this point.

Bush has given the Iraqi's everything HE promised them. 1: Getting rid of Saddam; check.. 2: A U.S. drafted constitution; check... 3: Free elections (with U.S. oversight); check... 4: Billions of mine, your's and everyone elses tax dollars for reconstruction; check...

NO WMDs.. Priceless.. Unless 4000+ dead Americans and over 20000+ injured for life isn't priceless according to Bush... Bush lied about the war and his reasoning for going into war. WMD's is and are the main reason for the war.

The U.S. needs to leave and focus on Afghanistan and to find bin Laden. We had no right to be Iraq in the first place. It doesn't matter if we leave now, in 3 years or in 20 years. Iraq will have a dictator in one way or another. We can't tell others how to run their lives and countries when America is off the wrong track at home!!

Rella.. about the off/on duty. Every military member has to follow U.S. Military law and also the host country law regardless of where our troops are at. Same goes for an average citizen being in a foreign country. Just because we are American's doesn't mean local laws don't apply. Iraq has the right to force American troops out at any given time. If the U.S. doesn't like it, then don't invade illegally again!

{"commentId":4088930,"threadId":"420904","contentId":"2118203","authorDomain":"travelinfotog"}

#2 - Sun Nov 16, 2008 6:00 PM EST

{"commentId":4089045,"authorDomain":"kahaire"}

Rella

I don't think we should be there either. I was against the war before it started, and I still am now. And it's not a "real" war in the sense that the invasion part is over. But the conditions on the ground are very much that of a real war. I don't know if you know anyone who is a soldier, or if you do they would be willing to talk about their experiences there. The conversations I've had are, to me, very enlightening.

I am not advocating that soldiers who commit crimes get off scott-free. I am advocating that those crimes be tried using the existing military justice system, and that the circumstances surrounding those crimes be taken into account. And that Iraq not be able to determine whether a soldier is on- or off-duty.

I will admit that I am not coming at this issue from an objective place. I have family there, and they will probably be sent back before the US leaves Iraq. And I very much worry about how this could potentially affect them if they, heaven forbid, wound up in a bad situation while off-base.

{"commentId":4089045,"threadId":"420904","contentId":"2118203","authorDomain":"kahaire"}

#2.1 - Sun Nov 16, 2008 6:15 PM EST

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BBC NEWS \| Special Reports \| Iraq cabinet backs US troops deal	BBC News	Sun Nov 16	0
Iraqi cabinet approves accord setting U.S. troop withdrawal	mcclatchydc.com	Mon Nov 17	0
A pact with the devil	Asia Times	Mon Nov 17	0
Iraqi lawmakers vote on US security pact Wednesday	Associated Press	Sun Nov 16	29
Three more years in Iraq??: Iraqi Cabinet approves security pact with US	Yahoo! News	Sun Nov 16	8

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Iraq cabinet backs pact giving US troops 3 years - Reuters AlertNet

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