Maliki hails U.S. support for Iraq .. And announce the start of the countdown to the battle of Fallujah

Maliki hails U.S. support for Iraq .. And announce the start of the countdown to the battle of Fallujah

Thu 30 Jan 2014 05:40 | (Voice of Iraq)

Baghdad: «Middle East»

praised Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, the support provided by the United States to Iraq now in the context of the war against terrorism at a time when expressed as Washington is ready to support him in all the requirements for combating terrorism.

said in a statement issued by Maliki's office after a meeting with Deputy U.S. secretary of state, William Burns, the day before yesterday, that «Iraq fighting a battle with terrorism, which threatens the security and stability not only in Iraq, but in all the world», following that «our commitment to not harming civilians may delay the resolution of the battle».

He called on al-Maliki to «greater international cooperation to break the backbone of terrorism, because the crimes committed by that sour the atmosphere of the Iraqis, and that is the coming together of Iraqis and unite them grow and deepen in the case of defeat and eradicate terrorism», valuing «American attitudes in support of Iraq in the face of terrorism and extremism».


His part , the deputy U.S. secretary of state that «the United States stands with Iraq in this confrontation and is ready to support whatever is needed to defeat terrorism and extremism».

According to the statement, Burns said, that «the current confrontation in the region is a confrontation between extremism and moderation, not between sects as being imaged». For its part, said in a statement the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that Burns during his meetings with Iraqi officials stressed the U.S. commitment to the strategic framework agreement signed between the two countries.

With regard to the security situation, the statement said Burns «stressed the importance of developing a strategy and comprehensive political security to isolate and defeat terrorist groups such as al-Islamic state in Iraq and the Levant (Daash)». Burns also expressed its support «the strategy followed in Ramadi, where undertaken Tribal elders and local officials a key role in the output of the terrorists of the city».

He also urged Burns Iraqi factions to reach an agreement on the export of oil of the Kurdistan region to Turkey, warning at the same time, risks to stability in the long term in the event of attempted export before the conclusion of the agreement. was the United States announced the day before yesterday, that Congress agreed to sell 24 Apache helicopter to the Iraqi government under a deal that includes leasing six aircraft of this type and the sale of 480 missiles Hellfire and cost up to 4.8 billion dollars.

Within the context of that, he said, an independent member of the Iraqi parliament, Izzat Shabandar, who recently returned from a visit to the United States with the Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Al-Mutlaq, told the «Middle East», he met with Burns in the presence of al-Mutlaq, said: «I assured him that Iraq is today a terrorist target and should not be watching one on Iraq, which engaged in this battle on behalf of the world, and therefore it should be arming Iraq», indicating that «the problem is that some Iraqi political leaders, led by Osama Najafi and Saleh al-Mutlaq, warned Americans of the possibility that al-Maliki is using this weapon against political opponents».

He added that «my vision reported by Burns and the presence of al-Mutlaq, is that al-Maliki, a political opponent, but he will not use the weapon against his opponents as much as it uses specific files, and must emphasize here that al-Maliki is as much discount them, it is supposed to be an ally to them, and to be allies him in the battle against terrorism ». He pointed out that the Shabandar «Maliki's opponents (...) fear that al-Maliki win in the war against terrorism before the election because it will use this victory and a pressure for him».

He said that «the problem, which is almost the level of the disaster, is that these political rivals have made ​​the problems of personal and partisan and sectarian size of the problem of Iraq and the size of the challenge faced in the war against terrorism». Meanwhile, Maliki announced, in his weekly, yesterday, that the battle of Fallujah has become Despite the impending losses.

He said that «there are two important factors make it necessary to enter the army and Fallujah is the first factor: the need for the return of Fallujah residents displaced for fear of terrorist organizations and exercise their normal lives again».

He continued: «The second goal of preventing and take the Fallujah area to hit the national unity in the country and not to give the organization Daash Qaeda and the opportunity to hit the city of Karbala, Najaf, Salah al-Din For these reasons, the decision requires us to take the necessary measures».

Maliki said that «the tribes of Fallujah to return to the city and the support of the army to strike at terrorists», adding that «the army's entry to the city will be attached to the losses, especially after it took (base) of the people of Fallujah as human shields her, so the duty of the tribal resistance will be the Army supporter them to minimize losses as much as possible ».

Maliki called the «need to freeze all the political differences between the partners in the political process to reach appropriate solutions to be enough to get out of the crisis». field, managed by government forces regain control of the areas were, however, gunmen from al Daash in Anbar province, according to security sources.

A spokesman for the Defense Ministry, Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari, told Agence France-Presse, said that «our troops regained control fully the area Alboalon (northern gray) after fierce battles and managed to clear the area of terrorists». added: «will hand over the region to the tribes and the police to return normal life where ». , in turn, announced a lieutenant colonel in the city of Ramadi, police «killed four militants (Daash) and wounded several others during the clashes took place yesterday (Tuesday) in the area Alibovraj».

He pointed to the occurrence of similar clashes in the village of Albuaath adjacent to the area Alibovraj. in Fallujah, said an officer with the rank of captain in the police that «Iraqi forces from the army and the tribes and the Awakening and the emergency, was able to regain control of Nasaf, (west of Fallujah) and the expulsion of the militants, including».

Maliki Vows Victory as Fallujah Battle Looms

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki vowed to eradicate al-Qaeda in Iraq and predicted victory as his army prepared to launch a major assault against the terrorists, who have taken over parts of the city of Fallujah.

Fighters from the al-Qaeda affiliated so-called “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” [ISIL], which is also active across the border in Syria, overran police stations in Fallujah and another city in Iraq’s western Anbar province last week.

In a televised address Wednesday, Maliki also thanked the international community for its support in the fight against al-Qaeda and urged the group’s members and supporters to surrender, promising clemency.

The prime minister spoke for the second time this week with US Vice President Joe Biden, the White House said in a statement. Biden urged Maliki to keep working with local leaders and welcomed a decision to compensate tribal militiamen who may be wounded or killed in action against ISIL.

The United States said earlier this week it would fast-track deliveries of military hardware, including drones and missiles, to Iraq, but ruled out sending troops two years after Washington ended nearly a decade of occupation.

“The support … is giving us the confidence that we are moving on the right course and that the result will be clear and decisive: uprooting this corrupt organization,” Maliki said. “We will continue this fight because we believe that al-Qaeda and its allies represent evil.”

The army deployed more tanks and artillery around Fallujah Tuesday as local leaders tried to persuade militants to leave in order to avert an impending offensive that has echoes of US assaults on the same city in 2004.

The United Nations described the humanitarian situation in Anbar as critical: “The situation in Fallujah is particularly concerning, as existing stocks of food, water and life-saving medicines begin to run out,” UN envoy to Iraq Nikolay Mladenov said in a statement.

The Iraqi Red Crescent said it had provided humanitarian assistance to more than 8,000 families across Anbar but added that upward of 13,000 had fled and were living with relatives, or in schools or other public buildings.

In an audio recording released late Tuesday, ISIL spokesman Abu Mohammad al-Adnani urged Iraq’s Sunnis not to lay down their arms or compromise with the government.

It is unclear how many fighters ISIL has in Fallujah, or how much support it might have from disgruntled tribes in the area.

“We don’t want this city to suffer and we will not use force, as long as the tribes announce their readiness to confront al-Qaeda and expel it,” Maliki said.

Security forces backed by tribal fighters wrested back control over the provincial capital Ramadi Monday, but fighting continued on the outskirts of the city Wednesday, military sources said.

Unrest elsewhere in Iraq Wednesday killed 22 people, including 12 soldiers and six police, officials said.

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