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Reuters: Washington was "surprised" by "reverse" its influence in Baghdad

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Reuters: Washington was "surprised" by "reverse" its influence in Baghdad

Unread postby admin » Mon Dec 24, 2012 9:27 am

Reuters: Washington was "surprised" by "reverse" its influence in Baghdad

The time on Sunday, December 24 1 / December 2012 17:42 | |

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Baghdad / Washington / Barry Malone and Peter Epps

When I arrived a group of Americans and heavily armed guards to the Turkish Embassy to attend the ceremony in the month of September objected Iraqi policemen stationed in front of the embassy on their way. The police insisted that the U.S. delivers weapons carried by the guards and in accordance with the policy used in protecting embassies or back the delegation of U.S. diplomats included, without allowing themto attend. Sources say they attended among guests at the ceremony that day, that the subsequent events is not fully clear. The bullet was fired at least one is likely to be a warning by the police. The Americans returned to their cars and disappeared in the darkness of night.

After all the events of violence and bombings in the last ten years have passed this confrontation without stopping then one. But it is an example of the way they saw the United States reverse its influence in Iraq. A year after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq almost U.S. officials and their cars disappear from the streets of Baghdad. When Americans go out of the castle-like embassy compound, it is clear that they are no longer the country's rulers as they were in the previous period. Many of them were confined in their dealings contact with the Americans and prefer to move air in the skies of Baghdad instead of using cars through the streets of Baghdad as they increasingly eschew contact the government of Nuri al-Maliki.

He said a U.S. official told Reuters that he did not leave the compound for nearly three years, only to return to the United States to spend their vacations. Asked Iraqi official on cooperation between the Iraqi and American sides said amusingly "Americans? I'd like to see some of them." In Washington and other Western capitals is increasingly a concern, fearing that failure to negotiate a permanent presence of U.S. troops to be excluded from the scene completely.

Washington says that the relationship between the two sides are still close. In the sixth of December he met U.S. and Iraqi officials in Baghdad in the latest meeting to discuss military cooperation and arms sales and regional crises such as Syria. But it is clear that tensions list. He said a U.S. official told Reuters, "Iran's influence? Definitely yes. Influence us? Definitely yes." "But the Iraqis are the first to say that they take care of their interests."

I was supposed to be the U.S. embassy built on a vast area, as it is the largest in the world and equivalent to the size of an area of approximately Vatican and built at a cost of about $ 750 million, a symbol of the presence of his permanence. Instead it has become a symbol of how exaggeration and Washington to assess its influence in the post-war period. U.S. officials say current and former It's not so bad. Increase in Iraqi oil production of additional supply provided for the global oil market is enough to allow the United States and Europe to tighten sanctions on Iran. Some say that the conflict in Syria shows how bad the situation in which it was possible that the disposition of the things in Iraq if it had not been the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. They insist that the decline of Washington's influence was inevitable under the circumstances.

Said Douglas Olyphant former officer U.S. Army and director of the National Security Council of Iraq under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who is now a fellow of the Institute for New America "do not know why we felt surprise. Now that Iraq has become less dependent we started walking in his own way."

Until late last year, was familiar with the events say that American officials never Atsoura that Washington withdraw its troops from Iraq. After the launch of an agreement "status of forces" in 2008 at the height of the numerical increase of U.S. troops targeted by Washington eliminate widespread insurgency, officials believe that the Maliki government obey the presence of U.S. forces. The U.S. diplomat said, commenting on this situation "will reach an agreement. Will reach an agreement. This was their response is always".

Believes most American sources and Iraqi that this is what he wanted Iraqi Prime Minister also, but they say that the two sides exclusively themselves statements in the box tight, and the most important sticking point, which is Washington's desire to keep its troops immunity from Iraqi judicial system, are settled position.

Says Jim Jeffrey, who was ambassador to Washington in Baghdad until last year and became a Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy that it was possible to reach an agreement on the status of forces "but to convince any Arab parliament to approve (the immunity of U.S. troops) will remain elusive. Example only could be an agreement in 2008 and they need us badly. " He said that security contractors tenants of the United States private contracts who now make a lot of tasks, such as military training, which could have been provided by the U.S. forces. After that the relationship between the two sides reached a low point in the last year U.S. officials say relations have begun to improve again. The U.S. official said "almost closing the door ahead and kept him ajar because they were forced to do so. And now half open and possibly more as they work to open more and more. They ask for cooperation in all fields." But it seems that there is little doubt that other countries in the region saw the departure of U.S. forces was considered a defeat for the Americans. An Arab diplomat in Baghdad "Certainly that Western governments lost weight., There is no forces has ended its war here. And the only reason for staying here is the desire to conclude contracts and because they want the oil contracts.

But even in this area finalized special treatment. "Said David Mack, a former State Department who served as a diplomat in Iraq for years," we did not have never in Iraq influence that was our friends believe that we or what was our opponents accuse us of doing. "And" Some Americans have shown arrogance of imperialism .. In fact, Iraq was not us never to lose it. "

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