Powell: Iraq Pullout Request Not Likely

Powell: Iraq Pullout Request Not Likely
By HARRY DUNPHY, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - U.S.-led coalition forces would leave Iraq if a new interim government should ask them to, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Friday, but such a request is unlikely.

Powell said the United States believes a holds that a U.N. resolution passed last year and Iraqi administrative law provide necessary authority for coalition forces to remain even beyond the scheduled June 30 handover of government to Iraqis.

"We're there to support the Iraqi people and protect them and the new government," Powell said at a news conference with other foreign ministers from the Group of Eight nations. "I have no doubt the new government will welcome our presence and am losing no sleep over whether they will ask us to stay."

But were the new government to say it could handle security, "then we would leave," Powell said.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said stability in Iraq would not be served by an abrupt withdrawal.

"But were the government that takes over to ask us to leave, we would leave," Straw said. Britain is the main force other than the United States in the U.S.-led military coalition that brought down Iraq's authoritarian government last year and is trying to restore calm in the aftermath.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040514/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_g_8_meeting&cid=542&ncid=1480

... of course, they will maintain fourteen or so "enduring bases," but they won't have to pretend to provide security to the whole country.

US puppets won't be too keen on losing their support...

the interim government, I guess we can pick one who will pretty much go along with whatever Bush sees as politically expedient at the time.

I wouldn't be surprised if Bush got someone in there who would say "Thanlks, but we can handle it now." Chalabi probaably owes him.

MzPip
:dem: