Home>News Center>World
         
 

Powell: US would leave if Iraq requests
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-05-15 10:37

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: US would leave if Iraq requests
US Secretary of State Colin Powell. The United States, Britain, Italy and Japan would pull their troops out of Iraq if the new interim authority that takes control after June 30 says they should, foreign ministers of the four countries said. [AFP]
Powell said the United States believes 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 his counterparts from other Group of Eight nations preparing for an economic summit next month. "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.

L. Paul Bremer, the top U.S. administrator in Iraq, told a delegation from Iraq's Diyala province Friday that American forces would not stay where they were unwelcome.

"If the provisional government asks us to leave, we will leave," Bremer said, referring to an interim Iraqi administration due to take power June 30. "I don't think that will happen, but obviously we don't stay in countries where we're not welcome."

Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman had told the House International Relations Committee on Thursday that although it was unlikely, the Iraqi interim government could tell U.S. troops to leave. But Lt. Gen. Walter Sharp, who was also at the hearing, contradicted his statement, telling the panel that only an elected government could order a U.S. withdrawal.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters Friday that the Iraqi people still want help from the United States and coalition forces to provide security.

"Iraqi security forces are not fully equipped and trained to provide for their own security and defend their country against terrorists," McClellan said. "And so, after the transfer of sovereignty on June 30, we expect to continue to partner with the Iraqi forces to improve the security situation."

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said at the news conference with Powell that 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.

Powell said he expected the commander of coalition forces in Iraq to remain an American and report up his chain of command to maintain military effectiveness. Also, a consultative process can be established so the U.S. commander and the American ambassador kept the Iraqi government informed of their activities, he said.

French officials are urging that the new Iraqi government be given the power to evict U.S. forces if it so chooses.

"There has to be a complete break with the past, with the Iraqi government replacing the coalition," said French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier.

He repeated that France would not now nor in the future send troops to Iraq but said France would join its European partners in helping to rebuild Iraq.

Powell said he and the foreign ministers devoted considerable time to discussing Iraq "because all of us share an interest in a peaceful, stable Iraq."

They also discussed the Arab-Israeli peace process and how to bring political and economic reform to a broader Middle East, he said.

That is expected to be on the agenda when the Group of Eight holds its annual summit next month in Sea Island, Ga.

Before their talks at the State Department, Powell and the ministers met briefly at the White House with President Bush.

McClellan said Bush and the ministers discussed the "mission they're working to accomplish in Iraq and about the importance of setting aside past differences."



USS Park Royal crew await for Rice
Coffin of Milosevic flew to Belgrade
Kidnapping spree in Gaza Strip
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Australia, US, Japan praise China for Asia engagement

 

   
 

Banker: China doing its best on flexible yuan

 

   
 

Hopes high for oil pipeline deal

 

   
 

Possibilities of bird flu outbreaks reduced

 

   
 

Milosevic buried after emotional farewell

 

   
 

China considers trade contracts in India

 

   
  Journalist's alleged killers held in Iraq
   
  No poisons found in Milosevic's body
   
  US, Britain, France upbeat on Iran agreement
   
  Fatah officials call for Abbas to resign
   
  Sectarian violence increases in Iraq
   
  US support for troops in Iraq hits new low
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 91女神疯狂娇喘3p之夜| 久久久精品久久久久特色影视| 禁忌2电影在线观看完整版免费观看| 国产在线无码精品电影网| 2021成人国产精品| 夜夜爽77777妓女免费看| 一级毛片免费播放| 无码中文av有码中文a| 久久精品女人毛片国产| 欧美性生交xxxxx久久久| 亚洲色大情网站www| 红色一片免费高清影视| 国产一级第一级毛片| 骚视频在线观看| 国产成人综合久久精品免费| 综合网激情五月| 国产色xx群视频射精| 99久久精彩视频| 天天操天天干天搞天天射| 一本久久综合亚洲鲁鲁五月天| 成全高清视频免费观看| 久久99国产精品视频| 日本护士xxx| 久久夜色精品国产亚洲| 最近中文字幕国语免费完整| 亚洲午夜精品一区二区公牛电影院 | 国产一区在线播放| 黄色网址在线免费观看| 国产欧美一区二区精品久久久| 1313苦瓜网在线播| 国产精品美女久久久久AV福利| 97久人人做人人妻人人玩精品 | 国产一级一级一级国产片| 青草娱乐极品免费视频| 国产又粗又长又硬免费视频| 国产大秀视频在线一区二区| 国产无遮挡又黄又爽高潮| 中文字幕日韩精品麻豆系列| 国产精品一区二区久久精品涩爱| 三上悠亚精品一区二区久久| 国产精品久久自在自线观看 |