100 Iraqi MPs demand departure of U.S. forces

100 Iraqi MPs demand departure of U.S. forces

2011-07-05 04:11:19 GMT+7 (ICT)

BASRA, IRAQ (BNO NEWS) -- One hundred Members of the Iraqi Parliament (MPs) on Monday submitted a document to the government demanding the departure of U.S. forces from the Middle Eastern country, the Aswat al-Iraq news agency reported.

Uday Awad, member of the al-Ahrar (Liberals) bloc, announced that the document was signed in order to demand both the U.S. and Iraqi governments to comply with the security agreement signed between Baghdad and Washington.

The al-Ahrar bloc also urged other political forces and Parliament members to take a similar stand on the issue in order to allow the imposition of sovereignty and independence in Iraq without any foreign input.

Iraq's Islamic Party in Ninewa called for rejecting the extension of the U.S. forces in Iraq after some politicians demanded a prolonged presence of American troops beyond December 31, 2011.

"Our people have suffered a lot of difficulties and problems caused by the occupation, including sectarianism and racism, the destruction of the country's infrastructure, the plundering of its funds, and the spreading of administrative and financial corruption," said the Islamic Party in Ninewa.

On Sunday, Jabbar Yawar, spokesman for the Peshmerga party, said that the departure of American soldiers will create a security vacuum and called for an extended stay of the U.S. forces.

"There is a U.S. division of 15,000 soldiers that helps the Iraqi and region's forces to preserve security and collaborate in joint security check-points," said Yawar. "There will be a security deterioration due to the non-preparedness of the Iraqi forces."

Less than 50,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, eight years since the U.S.-led war began on March 20, 2003. According to a security agreement between Baghdad and Washington, all U.S. forces will be withdrawn by the end of 2011.

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