DAR AL ISLAM - IRAQ/IRAN: AMERICANS ARE DYING SO IRAQ & IRAN CAN GET BETTER ACQUAINTED

Iraqi diplomat sees better ties with Iran

A top Iraqi diplomat said Wednesday his country's relations with Iran were improving and downplayed the role of the US presidential election campaign on the timing and manner of the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.

"The question of withdrawal is not up to the Republicans or Democrats to decide now," Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister Labeed Abawi said. "This is up to a joint agreement between Iraq and whoever is in the US government" after the elections.

"You hear so many slogans, proposals and ideas ... but when the election is over and the campaign dies down, then comes reality," Abawi said during a speech at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs. The reality, he added, was that the United States had political and economic interests in the region and "cannot abandon Iraq ... and other countries."

Abawi said that Iraq was "gradually taking up responsibility" for its own security and said violence in some parts of the country had decreased substantially over the past year.

"We don't want to have to see the US presence in Iraq one day more than is necessary," Abawi said. "If we need the US forces now, it is because our forces are not ready to take up the security response by themselves."

...

"Now also through our direct contacts we hope that whatever support there is left to some of these extremists will maybe stop in the future," Abawi said.



Pertinent Links:

1) Iraqi diplomat sees better ties with Iran