Crocker: Bilateral talks offer framework

WASHINGTON, April 8 (UPI) -- U.S.-Iraq bilateral relationship talks would not hamstring future administrations, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker told a Senate panel.

"Our aim is to ensure that the next president arrives in office with a stable foundation upon which to base policy decisions, and that is precisely what this agreement will do," Crocker told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday while offering his assessment of Iraq's political, economic and diplomatic landscape.

"The agreement will not establish permanent bases in Iraq, and we anticipate that it will expressly forswear them," he said. "The agreement will not specify troop levels, and it will not tie the hands of the next administration."

Progress on the three fronts, while "frustratingly slow," indicates the strategy that began with the troop surge, Crocker said.

"This does not mean that U.S. support should be open-ended or that the level and nature of our engagement should not diminish over time," he said.

Challenges include a reinvigorated cabinet "both for political balance and to improve the delivery of services to Iraq's people," the ambassador said.

Corruption issues are "enormous," he said, as are disputes about internal boundaries and the rights of women and minorities.