Iraq forms committee to follow-up on the U.S. forces withdrawal

[News_Editor]

Iraq forms committee to follow-up on the U.S. forces withdrawal

2011-05-12 01:23:45 GMT+7 (ICT)

BAGHDAD (BNO NEWS) -- The Iraqi government on Wednesday formed a special committee that will be in charge of the follow-up on the withdrawal of the United States forces, the Aswat al-Iraq news agency reported.

The Iraqi Parliamentary Security and Defense Commission decided to form the committee that will also cooperate with local authorities to complete the withdrawal process of the American troops.

Last August, the United States began to withdraw its armed forces from Iraqi soil as decided in the Iraqi-U.S. security agreement signed in 2008. All U.S. "non-combat" forces are expected to withdraw by the end of this year.

The U.S. currently has an estimated 50,000 service members in Iraq. Despite the agreement, some sectors in Iraq have called for keeping American presence in the country as the security situation is still uncontrolled.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said on Wednesday announced that he will discuss with all political leaders a possible agreement to keep a number of American forces in the troubled country.

"I will ask all political leaders about their willingness to keep the American forces or their departure," said the Premier. "If an agreement is reached about their continuation, we will discuss a desired number as well as consulting the Parliament on its position towards the demand."

In April, Hassan al-Sunaid, chairman of the Parliament's Security and Defense Commission, said that all U.S. troops must leave Iraqi soil on December 31. He added that an extended stay of American soldiers will be against Iraq's takeover process.

According to the 2008 security agreement between Baghdad and Washington, all U.S. forces will be withdrawn by the end of 2011; eight years after the U.S.-led war began on March 20, 2003.

During the eighth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in April, tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Baghdad and demanded the departure of the American troops.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-12