US Defense Secretary Panetta hopes for a deal to keep U.S. t

[Stillw8n]

US Defense Secretary Panetta hopes for a deal to keep U.S. troops in Iraq
19/10/2011

Description of U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, that he hoped would reach the United States and Iraq soon an agreement on the role of the United States in possible military training in Iraq after the 31 of December of this year, the due date for all U.S. forces to leave Iraq.

His comments contradicted Panetta With signs of a senior official in the Obama administration and senior U.S. military official released on Saturday, that the United States abandon its plans to keep any troops in Iraq after the withdrawal date at the end of the year, other than the number of the 160 soldiers of the troops who will be get them into the Embassy of the United States.

The pressure Panetta and other top U.S. officials on the Iraqis for months to decide if they want to major U.S. military forces to the task of training the military in 2012.

During his first visit to Baghdad as head of the Pentagon in July, showed his displeasure with the Panetta Iraqis at one point when he said “Damn, they made ​​a decision.”

But in recent Azaralamsúlon in the Obama administration is less pressing form, noting that the number of U.S. forces, which currently stands at 39,500 troops on the way to reduce to zero by the end of the year.

Panetta said “At present I am not frustrated because we are still in negotiations with the Iraqis,” and when asked by a reporter whether the talks between the two parties had reached an impasse. He answered no, saying that James Jeffrey, U.S. Ambassador in Baghdad, and Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq are in discussions with Iraqi leaders and could still lead to an agreement on the U.S. military presence after 2011.

In remarks to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki aired on Monday, said he would not be there after 2011, the U.S. military training mission if the Obama administration Tsraly legal immunity for its soldiers.

In an interview with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki with a television station track, which belongs to the Dawa Party, stressed the need for the Iraqi security forces for more training, but said the issue of immunity is still a sticking point. The United States is negotiating routinely in order to obtain legal protection for troops stationed in Iraq.

As Maliki said: “We have said from the beginning we, as well as other political blocs, that there is a need for training, but the size of the remaining troops left to the artistic side of Iraq, while we say that the immunity is not possible and since the beginning we said that it can not obtain the approval of Parliament.”

Maliki also said there are “alternative to NATO,” but it did not describe what that means.

NATO has a small training in Iraq now, and is in talks over the continuation of this task in the next year. But put more U.S. troops under the umbrella of NATO to face similar challenges on how to protect them legally.

Maliki also pointed to the possibility of using non-military contractors such as to provide training.
In the U.S. State Department, said spokesman Mark Toner, has not taken final decisions on the future of U.S. military presence. He said he would not discuss what prevents the parties from reaching agreement.

Adding “I would say only that the discussions with the Iraqis about the nature of this relationship is still continuing.” Panetta did not specify what is being negotiated, but the secretary, George Little, told reporters that the talks on the future security relationship between the United States and Iraq includes discussion of important military training to be undertaken by the United States.

He said that this would be in addition to working in the Office of Security Cooperation, an arm of the U.S. embassy and is headed by a general in the U.S. Army. This office was charged with facilitating Iraq’s arms purchases and training Iraqis on how to use and maintain.

U.S. officials say, that the Iraqi army currently lacks the ability to defend the country’s borders, airspace and land. It also has significant gaps in the areas of logistics, intelligence and medical evacuation.

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