Iraq holds to SOFA deadline; Karzai enters presidential race

Baghdad holds to SOFA deadline

Iraqi officials stand firm by the June 30 deadline for U.S. combat forces to leave major Iraqi cities despite an uptick in violence across the country, officials said.

American troops are obligated under a bilateral Status of Forces Agreement with the Iraqi government to pull back to their military bases by June 30. With Iraq witnessing the worst outbreak of violence in years, many had questioned that deadline.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh, however, said Baghdad is committed to the SOFA, saying the June 30 deadline would not be extended, the al-Sumaria satellite channel reports.

The announcement comes amid renewed concerns about the conduct of U.S. military forces in Iraq following a series of raids that the Iraqi government said violated the terms of the SOFA.

The U.S. military carried out raids in the Wasit provincial capital of Kut last week in operations targeting alleged Iranian-backed militants. Baghdad complained that the U.S. military carried out the attacks without its consent, reacting with anger to accounts of civilian casualties.

The renewed furor prompted U.S. military officials to defend their actions as their British counterparts conclude their combat operations in Basra.

Basra residents had complained that, compared with the moderate tactics of British forces, the U.S. military has a record of aggression.

U.S. Brig. Gen. Jeff Smith, commander of American forces in Basra, told the Voices of Iraq news agency the conduct of his troops would allay those concerns.

"We have received information from several sources that Basra residents have general concerns about the performance of U.S. troops," he said. "But our deeds in the near future will prove otherwise."

Iraqi president to retire

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani announced his intention to retire from his position in the central government once his term expires later this year.

In an interview with Asharq al-Awsat, Talabani said he plans to retire and turn his efforts to writing his memoirs but left open the possibility of continuing on in the leadership of his party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

"If they ask me to run and they indeed began to do so, I will reconsider my decision and think about the issue," he said. "Nevertheless, my personal decision is to retire."

The PUK is expected to consider its party leadership at a meeting scheduled for June 1.

In April, however, Talabani said he would nominate himself again for the leadership of the PUK as the Kurdish provinces of Iraq prepare to hold elections.

Talabani and Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and president of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, had announced in early April they would compete on a unified ticket.

Three parties are vying for five Turkmen seats in the Kurdish elections while four candidates are competing for the sole Armenian seat.

Five seats are available for the Chaldean and Assyrian sects of Christianity as well.

The Kurdish provincial elections were scheduled originally for May, though the date remains uncertain. Barzani is expected to announce the rescheduled date Tuesday.

Hill meets Kurdish leaders

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill met with leaders in the Kurdistan Regional Government to discuss the so-called disputed territories and other measures.

Hill traveled to the Kurdish capital, Erbil, to meet with KRG President Massoud Barzani to discuss developments in the Kurdish region of Iraq, as well as disputes between the KRG and the central government in Baghdad.

Barzani welcomed the ambassador, extending his thanks for the continued support from Washington, the KRG said in a statement.

"We are thankful to the American people, government and military for their contributions and sacrifices, and are pleased with our strengthened relations with the United States," he said.

Barzani briefed Hill on the history of the Kurdish region, including atrocities committed against the Kurds by the government of Saddam Hussein. He also raised the issue of the so-called disputed territories in the north of Iraq.

KRG claims administrative authority over Erbil, Dahuk and Sulaimaniya provinces, as well as portions of Diyala and Ninawa. Baghdad and the KRG are at odds over the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, and several observers say those disputes could erupt into conflict if the matter is unresolved before the U.S. military leaves Iraq in 2011.

Hill replaced Ryan Crocker, who left the post in February.

Karzai announces re-election bid

Afghan President Hamid Karzai officially launched his re-election bid Monday, submitting his registration to officials as rivals fail to emerge.

"Today President Hamid Karzai officially registered for re-election and has submitted the documentation required by the Independent (Election) Commission," deputy presidential spokesman Siamak Herawi said.

Karzai also registered current Vice President Muhammad Karim Khalili and former Vice President Muhammad Qasim Fahim as his running mates, The New York Times reports.

Elections officials said last week that more than 60 potential candidates have collected registration forms to run in the Aug. 20 contest, but so far, few have waged an official challenge to Karzai.

Karzai had faced early challenges from former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani and Nangarhar provincial Gov. Gul Agha Shirzai, a former warlord.

The Wall Street Journal reports, however, that Shirzai pulled out of the race following a weekend meeting with Karzai. The incumbent president asked Shirzai, who has widespread national popularity, to pull out of the race in exchange for Karzai's backing of the governor in provincial elections scheduled for 2014.

Shirzai was seen as a potential upset to Karzai in the presidential race, but with few challengers coming forward with an official announcement, it appears Karzai is set to emerge as an early favorite.

Wage opposition at the polls, U.N. says

Afghan and U.N. officials called on opposition parties to the Afghan government to make their voices heard by taking part in the presidential elections.

Afghanistan holds presidential elections Aug. 20 and provincial elections in 2014. Incumbent President Hamid Karzai on Monday officially registered his name with election officials and as many as 60 others have collected the necessary materials to run, though few have entered the race formally.

Afghan and U.N. officials said a transparent election would provide opposition candidates with the means to challenge the current government at the polls, the U.N. News Service reports.

"I urge all those who are opposing the government to participate in this process, as it is a peaceful process and it is a process where they can share the power," said Sima Samar, head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.

Kai Eide, the U.N. special envoy to Afghanistan, told reporters that as Afghanistan struggles to control a growing insurgency, political opposition offered an alternative to violence.

"I don't underestimate the difficulties, but I think it is important to stretch out a hand and say it is better we compete at the ballot boxes than to fight in the battlefield," he said.

During the weekend, Eide released a series of guidelines for the Aug. 20 contest, calling on all parties involved to strengthen the Afghan democracy by conducting a vote that follows the rule of law.

"It is a shared responsibility of all Afghans as well as relevant members of the international community to ensure that the presidential and provincial-council elections strengthen Afghanistan's democratic institutions," a statement from his office said.

Brookings rehashes Afghan argument

The United States, as it has in the past, cannot afford to let the situation in Afghanistan deteriorate once immediate gains are achieved, a scholar said.

Bruce Riedel with the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution warned that the United States has a history of wasting opportunities in Afghanistan once short-term threats are removed.

The United States cooperated with mujahedin elements in Afghanistan in the 1980s to run the Soviet army out of the country.

The failure to continue in Afghanistan as the Soviet Union collapsed brought to power the Taliban regime, which welcomed al-Qaida and its leader, Osama bin Laden, to the war-torn country in the 1990s.

With Washington wary of sustained military engagement in Afghanistan, al-Qaida leaders set about planning the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Washington responded swiftly to the Sept. 11 attacks, overthrowing the Taliban regime, Riedel noted. But this momentum was squandered as Washington promptly turned its attention to Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

Had Washington shown some resolve, Riedel argued, the U.S. military could have defeated al-Qaida and ushered in a modern Afghan state rather than letting the insurgency simmer as the Iraq war commenced.

Now, with the Taliban regaining vital ground in the south and east of Afghanistan, it is imperative Washington and its allies, including many in the Arab community, show resiliency in the face of the regional threat, Riedel noted.

"We cannot afford to make the same mistake three times," he wrote.

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(dgraeber@upi.com)