UNITED NATIONS, July 20 (UPI) -- Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih says a premature pullout of coalition forces from his country "would cause a disaster."
In a video-conference linkup from Baghdad with a meeting at U.N. World Headquarters in New York on a review of progress by the Iraqi government in its commitments under the International Compact with Iraq, he said the government was "making real progress in achieving its benchmarks" but it "will take months and years before specific tangible outcomes are seen on the ground by the Iraqi people."
Salih said the report presented to the conference "clearly demonstrates Iraq is making progress on what we have obligated ourselves to in the areas of constitutional reform, establishment of the independent electoral commission, investment law, public resource management anti-corruption management."
The first challenge is "countering the insurgency and terrorist activity as well as criminal armed bands operating in different parts of the country," he said.
While continuing to pursue them and target their safe havens in Iraq, we "will also continue our dialog wherever and whenever possible with groups that oppose this government's policy platforms and strategies."
Admitting the "status of coalition forces in Iraq is cause for debate among Iraqis," he called for the United States and Iraqi governments "to define more clearly the status of the coalition forces in the context of our partnership in the battle against terrorism and regional predators."
Said Salih, "For the coalition forces to leave Iraq before we can adequately attend to our own security would cause a disaster for Iraq and the region. Establishing security in Iraq remains a shared responsibility between" Iraq and the international community.
