By NNN-PTI,
United Nations : Iraqi forces backed by the US-led troops have “turned the corner” in the fight against terrorism and insurgency but the improvement remains “fragile,” Iraq’s Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said.
Giving his assessment in the UN Security Council Friday, he said the Iraqi forces have grown to almost 600,000, are better equipped than ever and have assumed primary responsibility in more than half of 18 provinces but they cannot as yet take responsibility for the entire country.
This signalled that Iraq would like the American troops to continue after the UN mandate for coalition forces ends on Dec 31. For that reason, Iraq is negotiating a bilateral pact with the US but so far there has not been much progress.
Zebari told reporters that he is hopeful that the accord would be reached but media reports said Iraqi lawmakers, who have to finally approve it, are in no hurry and some opine that it should be finalised only after the new incumbent of the White House is known following the November elections.
The reason, they say, that any agreement would be implemented only by the next administration.
Of particular concern to Iraq is the possibility of a spate of compensation lawsuits from victims of Saddam Hussein regime, including in Kuwait, once the UN mandate expires.
The Iraqi leaders and the UN are trying to find ways to avoid that and one suggestion is that the Council extends the protection against lawsuit while not extending the mandate of forces.
Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said any US-Iraq agreement should have a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops. Otherwise, it would cause divisions in the Iraqi society, he said.