Iraqi Government Cautiously Welcomes US Report
07 December 2006
Iraq's government has cautiously welcomed the recommendations of a bipartisan U.S. panel on Iraq.
The government in Baghdad says the recommendations on bringing security to Iraq are similar to its own policies. But Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's office says he still will read the full document released Wednesday in Washington.
The report says U.S. policy in Iraq is not working. It calls for a gradual transfer of U.S. troops from combat into advisory roles. It also says Iraqi security forces, now under the Shi'ite-dominated interior ministry, should come under the defense ministry, which is controlled by Sunnis.
Shi'ites are expected to oppose that recommendation.
Sunni political leaders have accused the U.S. panel of dealing with U.S. interests, not those of Iraq.
In other news, the U.S. military says 11 American soldiers were killed Wednesday in five separate incidents in Iraq. Officials say at least seven Iraqis were killed Thursday in a series of bombings and shootings.
A U.S. military statement issued Thursday, said five soldiers died when their vehicle was hit by an explosion in northern Kirkuk province.
The statement said one soldier was shot in Ramadi, in volatile Anbar province, west of Baghdad. The military released no further details about the other troops.
In Washington, the Iraq study panel's co-chairs, James Baker and Lee Hamilton, briefed Iraq's government on the report by video conference Wednesday. They focused on recommendations about the U.S. role as well as on regional initiatives.
An advisor to Mr. Maliki, Sami al-Askari, told The New York Times that the prime minister was pleased.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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