Outgoing Ambassador Hill Optimistic Iraq On The Right Track
Washington (AHN) -- After more than seven years, the U.S. combat mission in Iraq will end on August 31, and the nature of the U.S. commitment has "shifted from combat to help and assist Iraqi forces," the outgoing U.S. ambassador to Baghdad told journalists on Tuesday.
Ambassador Christopher Hill, who just completed his tour serving as America's top diplomat in Iraq, addressed journalists in the State Department saying, "We had 140,000 U.S. forces. We're now at, I think, around 55- or something, going down to 50,000 by the end of August."
On the question of support for al Qaeda, Hill said, "There is no local support for al-Qaeda in Iraq nor support for insurgents from Sunnis," adding, "not much support at all, unlike in the past."
"They have great difficulty communicating outside of the country, they have great difficulty communicating with each other, and we know this from various means. They have funding problems that have cropped up," Hill added.
Hill noted "Sunni voting patterns in the elections in March, tremendous voting," adding, "al-Qaida in Iraq is not able to hold on to a city -- to a single building or city block, unlike in the past where they were able, really, to take over entire buildings through various insurgents, et cetera."
Hill pointed at the "impatience in the public with the politics," as "Iraqi people want to see their politicians pick up the pace."
Hill noted that, "Everybody agrees -- that when the government is finally formed, you will see Sunnis, Shia, and Kurds in that government together. You will see a government that's very much balanced."
"I think everyone understands the need to bring all, as they say in Iraq, components -- that is Kurds, Sunnis, and Shia -- together," Hill added,
Ambassador Hill hoped for a quick formation of the new government, saying, "I would be much happier if there was a government today in Iraq and the politicians were arguing inside the Council."
Hill was satisfied that, "oil is no longer an impediment in reconciliation," adding, "I think there are other issues that need to be addressed, other issues involving the provincial powers laws, other issues involved the relationship of the center to the provinces."
On the ongoing political process about formation of a viable government, Ambassador Hill said, "My sense is that the process has dragged on too long. My sense is that there is impatience among the public with their politicians," adding, "But the problem is how to fix it."
"Iraqi people want to see their politicians pick up the pace. We were kind of hopeful in the last few weeks as we saw the two leading parties work together on this," noted Hill, calling "the press conference between Nuri al-Maliki and Massoud Barzani," 10 days ago, as "pretty upbeat about the degree to which the Kurds felt comfortable with the direction of the State of Law and Iraqiya discussions."
On the question of sectarian politics in Iraq, Ambassador Hill said it was "sometimes overstated," and argued that "sectarianism is not on the rise in Iraq. If you look at some of the very -- the more sort of clerical-type parties, they have not done well in Iraq. And I think there's a tendency toward more secular parties."
On the future course of action from the American side, Hill noted, "there is no agreement," beyond December 2011 as "We have an agreement ... This extends till Dec 2011."
In spite of the sanguinary incident on Tuesday, Hill insisted Iraq has made progress in reducing the level of violence in the past year, saying, "I think Iraq is increasingly stable," adding, "It's clearly going in the right direction."
Hill will retire from the US State Department in September after a distinguished 33-year career in the foreign service, including his last stint mediating in the US conflict with North Korea.
Asked what his next move in life will be, Hill said, "I am joining the University of Denver as dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies."
By Tejinder Singh
48 Killed in Suicide Attack Outside Iraq Recruitment Center
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- At least 48 people were killed and scores were wounded Tuesday morning when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden vest in central Baghdad as men were queuing up outside an Iraqi army recruitment center, the interior ministry said.
The attack took place in the Bab al-Moudham commercial area. It comes amid the country's failure to form a government and the United States' troop drawdown ahead of President Barack Obama's August 31 deadline for ending all combat operations.
At least 129 people were wounded in the blast.
The U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq, or UNAMI, condemned the act and issued its concern over continued acts of violence in the country, "including those perpetrated during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan that symbolizes the values of peace, tolerance, generosity and solidarity."
"UNAMI reiterates that agreement on the formation of the government will greatly contribute to strengthening Iraq's ability to protect its citizens and respond effectively to those who aim at perpetuating instability and insecurity in the country and reversing its path towards peace and prosperity."
The Iraqi government has been pushing to increase security ahead of the drawdown, which would leave a residual U.S. force of 50,000 troops focused on stability operations as well as advising and assisting Iraqi security forces.
Recruitment centers have come under attack in recent months, and many Iraqis have blamed a recent wave of violence on the current political paralysis -- in which quarreling parties have failed to form a government nearly six months after parliamentary elections.
Extremist groups, such as al Qaeda in Iraq, are known to take advantage of political fissures to carry out more attacks to create further turmoil.
The political crisis worsened on Monday when former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's al-Iraqiya party announced that it was suspending talks with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's coalition in response to comments he made in a television interview.
Maysoon al-Damalouji, a spokeswoman for al-Iraqiya, told CNN the group decided to suspend negotiations after al-Maliki described Allawi's candidate list as a "Sunni list" in an interview aired Monday by the U.S.-funded network Alhurra.
Al-Damalouji said they were demanding an apology to the supporters of al-Iraqiya. Allawi, a secular Shiite, heads the cross-sectarian al-Iraqiya list, which won the largest number of seats in the March 7 national elections. Al-Iraqiya garnered most of the Sunni Arab vote.
The four top blocs are involved in weeks-long negotiations to try to build a coalition with enough seats to form a government.
A fragile mega-Shiite coalition was formed in May between al-Maliki's State of Law and the Iranian-backed Iranian National Alliance, which includes the followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, but the coalition collapsed this month after the INA rejected al-Maliki's nomination for a second term.
Allawi and al-Maliki both claim the right to lead the next government. The two blocs have been holding talks.
To form a government, a 163-seat majority of 325 seats in parliament is needed. Allawi's bloc had a narrow victory with 91 seats, while al-Maliki won 89.
Western and Iraqi officials, including Allawi, have said Iraq's next government must be inclusive and representative, or violence could result.
Sunnis largely boycotted the 2005 elections, leading to the emergence of a Shiite-led government. The move left the once-ruling minority disaffected and that contributed to the a bloody insurgency and sectarian warfare that gripped Iraq for years.
By Mohammed Tawfeeq