“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
iStockAnalyst
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.”
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