By Prensa Latina,
Baghdad : Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki said Monday he has requested Washington to set a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from the occupied Arab country.
Baghdad and Washington have carried out secret negotiations on the presence of American soldiers and the installation of US military bases in Iraq.
According to an official statement from Al Maliki’s office, the idea (of the negotiations) is to reach an agreement on the withdrawal of the troops, or to set a timetable for their withdrawal. However, this it is the first time the Iraqi Head of Government talks about the topic of the calendar for the evacuation of the US soldiers, which can be paradoxical, because his administration is strongly supported by the US contingent.
An explanation of his attitude is that the presence of those troops is rejected by most of the population, by political opponents and even by people in conservative groups.
Al Maliki, who is visiting the United Arab Emirates, told diplomats there that the conversations between Baghdad and Washington will continue.
Meanwhile, a roadside bomb killed four people and injured three others Monday close to the Iranian border near Khanaqin, 90 miles northeast of Baghdad, said border guard Capt. Sarchel Abdul-Karim.
Another bomb near a dress shop in Baqouba killed one woman Monday and wounded 14 other people, police said. Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, and the surrounding Diyala province remain one of the country‘s most violent regions.
Also Monday, gunmen killed a member of the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party in Tal Afar, 260 miles northwest of Baghdad, said police, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.