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“Asked to explain the “contradictory statements” of the Iraqi prime minister and the White House spokesman, he says that the US Administration is afraid of directly announcing a deadline for its withdrawal for two reasons. He adds: “The first reason is because this would affect the morale of the US Army, which is essentially collapsing, desperate, and in a state of confusion and disorder. They believe that the gunmen would step up their activity and would have greater power and morale.” He further notes that during the previous six months there has been a lot of “confusion and contradiction” amongst the parties to the political process, the Iraqi Government, and US leaders.

He adds: “What is being promoted by politicians now is a way to conceal the US defeat in Iraq. This is because they realize that, as soon as they announce this, the political process will collapse, either gradually or suddenly.””

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

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Doha Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel Television in Arabic at 0501 gmt on 8 July carries the following announcer-read report over video: “White House Spokesman Gordon Johndroe has denied that the security discussions on the presence of the US forces in Iraq between the Iraqi Government and the US Administration aim to set a timetable for withdrawing from Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki has hinted that negotiating a memorandum of understanding between Iraq and the United States includes setting a timetable for the withdrawal of the US forces, rather than a long-term agreement.”

At 0503 gmt Al-Jazeera carries a video report by its correspondent Husayn Dalli. Dalli begins his report with the following statement: “There are many statements and there is a lot of mystery. Not a single day passes without the Iraqi arena witnessing new statements about the Iraqi-US security agreement.”

Dalli adds that Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Maliki said: “What will be agreed on is a memorandum of understanding that could lead to scheduling the US withdrawal, rather than a long-term agreement.” He further notes that opponents of the agreement view it differently, as they consider the country’s resources to be not less important than the presence and the role of the US forces in Iraq.

Dalli says that many wonder how it would be possible to preserve Iraq’s rights when negotiating a security agreement, which coincides with signing oil contracts with Western companies. Dalli adds that the political parties that make up the Iraqi Government believe in the “inevitability of signing an agreement.” However, “observers say” that these parties have different concerns. He says: “Al- Da’wah Party and the Supreme Council are concerned about its effect on Iran – their key ally. On the other hand, the Islamic Party views it as a lifebuoy that saves the country from Iranian influence, which it regards as growing in the country. The Kurdish parties, meanwhile, consider their stability and gains to be inseparable from the presence and clout of the United States, which has guaranteed them authority since the days of the former regime.”

The report also highlights the demonstrations staged by the Al- Sadr Trend against the agreement. It adds that the Association of Muslim Scholars and many other forces believe that talking about attaining sovereignty through the agreement is simply meant to “polish it” and that any talk about that before the US withdrawal is “pure illusion.”

At 0505 gmt, Al-Jazeera anchorwoman Ghadah Uways conducts a three- minute live telephone interview with Walid al-Zubaydi, Iraqi writer and journalist, from Amman.

Asked to explain the “contradictory statements” of the Iraqi prime minister and the White House spokesman, he says that the US Administration is afraid of directly announcing a deadline for its withdrawal for two reasons. He adds: “The first reason is because this would affect the morale of the US Army, which is essentially collapsing, desperate, and in a state of confusion and disorder. They believe that the gunmen would step up their activity and would have greater power and morale.” He further notes that during the previous six months there has been a lot of “confusion and contradiction” amongst the parties to the political process, the Iraqi Government, and US leaders.

He adds: “What is being promoted by politicians now is a way to conceal the US defeat in Iraq. This is because they realize that, as soon as they announce this, the political process will collapse, either gradually or suddenly.”

Within its 0701 gmt newscast, Al-Jazeera carries a video report by its correspondent Muhammad Rashad Nur. The report begins with the following statement: “From here, in Japan, where US President George Bush is attending the G8 Summit, White House Spokesman Gordon Johndroe has promptly affirmed that the security talks between the United States and Iraq do not aim to set a specific deadline for withdrawal. Washington says that it is concerned about the field conditions, which would set the scene for its forces’ withdrawal, rather than setting a deadline, which would benefit those whom it describes as terrorists.”

He adds that both governments aim to reach a security agreement, which would give a legal status to the US forces in Iraq. He highlights the contradictory statements by the two parties, and gives an example of Prime Minister Al-Maliki’s statements when he said that negotiations had reached a dead end, but later he stated that they are making progress.

Nur ends the report with the following statement: “The security agreement does not have popularity, even among the ruling coalition. On the other hand, Washington describes it as one of the many options to formalize Iraqi-US relations.”

Originally published by Al-Jazeera TV, Doha, in Arabic 0501 8 Jul 08.

(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Middle East. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Story Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East