Sunday 26 Oct 2008
Fars News Agency, Iran

26 Oct 2008

Russia Supports Extended UN Mandate for US in Iraq

TEHRAN (FNA)- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced his
country’s support for the idea of allowing the US troops to stay in
Iraq under an extended United Nations mandate.

There had been speculation that Russia might veto an extension of the
current UN resolution because of frustration with American foreign
policy in other parts of the world, including Kosovo and Georgia,
where Russia also has interests.

"We’ll support Iraq’s request to the UN Security Council if the Iraqi
government asks for the mandate of the current international military
presence to be extended," Lavrov said, according to RIA Novosti.

Lavrov made the comments Monday as he traveled from the Armenian
capital, Yerevan, to New Delhi. He said Russia was convinced that an
immediate and complete pullout of the international military force
from Iraqi territory was inadvisable.

The US is in talks with Iraqi officials to get them to sign a
provocative security agreement which secures long-term US presence in
Iraq.

If ratified by the Iraqi government, the Status of Forces Agreements
(SOFA) would also grant US forces in Iraq immunity from prosecution.

It also gives the occupation forces a free rein to stage military
operations wherever and whenever they deem necessary, without
consulting the Iraqi government.

The proposed pact is also facing widespread opposition among Iraqi
people, religious leaders and politicians.

Voices against the proposed agreement gathered strength as an
influential Iraqi cleric living in Iran issued a Fatwa condemning the
security pact.

Ayatollah Kazim al-Hosseini al-Haeri, an Iraqi-born cleric who is now
in the Iranian holy city of Qom, called the proposed agreement
"haraam," or prohibited by Islam, and said that approving the deal
would be a "sin God won’t forgive.

The UN Security Council resolution that authorizes American troop
operations in Iraq expires Dec. 31, and unless the agreement is in
place or the council votes to extend the existing resolution, US
troops would have no legal basis for operations at the end of the
year.

The draft pact currently being negotiated sets a timeline for American
troop withdrawals from Iraqi cities by June and a complete withdrawal
from the country by Dec. 31, 2011, but leaves room for adjustments in
the schedule depending on conditions in the country.

Many fear Washington has plans to keep permanent bases, despite a
denial of any such plan written into the proposal. Iraqis say the
drafts submitted by the Americans thus far would infringe on Iraq’s
sovereignty by giving US forces too much freedom to operate.

The security pact also faces strong criticism from members of
al-Maliki’s own coalition. Two Iraqi officials familiar with the
negotiations have warned that a deal is unlikely to be reached before
the end of President Bush’s term in January unless Washington backs
off some demands seen as giving American forces too much freedom to
operate in Iraq and infringing on Iraqi sovereignty.

Iraq’s parliament must approve the deal, and the two officials said
opposition in the legislature was so widespread that it stood no
chance of winning approval without significant changes in the US
position. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the
secrecy surrounding the negotiations.

The current draft accord has been described as a final text, and the
Americans have indicated that they are not inclined to make more
changes.