83 MPs Ask al-Jaafari to Put a Timetable for the Withdrawal of Foreign Troops

[translated by Gilbert Achcar]

Baghdad -- One-third of the members of the National Assembly (83 MPs) [out of 275] have asked for a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq, accusing the Assembly itself of not caring "about the demands of millions of Iraqis."

During a press conference that they organized, Falah Hassan Shneishel MP, a member of the "Independent National Bloc," said that "the presence of the occupation forces gives a pretext for the continuation of violence and terrorism that have taken the lives of thousands of Iraqis." In reply to a question from Al-Hayat about the attitude that he would take with his colleagues if the Assembly did not comply with their requests, he said that "they would take a stand," without giving further details.

Jawad Bulani MP told Al-Hayat that the demand for the withdrawal of occupation forces "had begun as soon as the National Assembly was formed, and it is a legitimate right of the Iraqis to get their sovereignty in conformity with UN Security Council resolutions, which gave the National Assembly and the Iraqi Government the right to impose an agreement on foreign troops if they were to remain on Iraqi territory." He asked Ibrahim al-Jaafari's Government to act in order to negotiate such an agreement "in compliance with our request and with the administrative law, when extending the presence of these troops on our territory." Bulani accused the National Assembly and the Government of "being careless and of compromising the cause," affirming that the people "demand sovereignty and we are conveying the demands of the masses that the Assembly ought to adopt."

Karim Najati MP, a member of the [majority] Shia "United Iraqi Alliance" [UIA], described the government's request of the extension of the presence of multinational forces in Iraq as "shameful and disgraceful." He pointed to the fact that "there are members in the US Congress opposed to the occupation of Iraq whereas we ask for the troops to stay," adding that "no Arab or Muslim can accept" what al-Jaafari's Government did.

Another member of the UIA, Abdul-Rahman al-Neeimi (Sunni), said that the presence of these troops "confused the security issues." He accused the multinational forces of standing behind attempts at igniting a civil war, asserting that "they have used all possible means in order to provoke sectarian strife in Iraq, but have failed thanks to God." He concluded saying "We tell the occupation forces: Hands off the Iraqi people and let us heal our wounds by our own means."

Baha' al-Aaraji MP, of the "Independent National Bloc," said that "the presence of these forces creates a lot of problems and hinders the political process." He maintained that "Iraqi security and military apparatuses are able to take care of the security issue whereas the continuing deployment of foreign troops in Iraq, in a situation where there is an honourable national resistance ["honourable" is the label designating in Iraq resistance forces that attack only foreign troops], is a threat to stability." Muhammad Saadun Hatem MP considered the decision by al-Jaafari's Government to extend the presence of multinational forces without referring to the National Assembly a "dangerous precedent."

Saad Jawad Qandil MP said: "the occupation should not be legalized." Feriad Ammar MP asked the Government "to include a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops in its decision to extend their presence," while Sheima' Zein al-Abedeen [a woman] MP asked the Government to "give a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops."

The 83 MPs signed a petition, of which Al-Hayat obtained a copy, accusing the National Assembly of "blatantly ignoring the demands of the MPs." "The most serious fact," the petition maintained, "is that the Government asked the UN Security Council to extend the duration of the presence of occupation forces without consulting the people's representatives in the National Assembly, who have the right to vote on such decisive issues." The petition also stated: "From the standpoint of our historical responsibility, we refuse that the occupation be legalized and repeat our demand that its forces get out." It added: "Our national forces were able to break the back of terrorism, extend their influence markedly in Iraqi streets and give authority back to the State and confidence in their security forces back to the citizens."

[From Al-Hayat, June 20, 2005.]