Clinton: Iraq will keep up progress despite violence

Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 9:16 PM Posted by Beijing News


US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed on Saturday that this month's wave of violence which has killed hundreds would not disrupt war-torn Iraq's journey back to peace and prosperity.

Clinton landed in Baghdad a day after two suicide attackers killed at least 65 people near a major Shiite shrine in Baghdad and less than 48 hours after a similar attack killed dozens in a northern town.

A series of bombings and suicide attacks have claimed more than 250 lives so far this month, just nine weeks ahead of a June 30 deadline for US troops to leave Iraqi cities and major towns.

Clinton, paying her fourth visit to Iraq but her first as America's top diplomat, said the attacks would not derail the progress made since the 2003 US-led invasion, which ousted Saddam Hussein but nearly set off a civil war.

"They do not reflect any divergence from the security progress that has been made," Clinton said, referring to the flare-up of suicide bombings.

"They are certainly regrettable and horrible in terms of loss of life," Clinton said.

"But the reaction from Iraqi people and the Iraqi leaders was firm and united in rejecting that violence, and refusing to allow it to set Iraqi against Iraqi, which is obviously one of its intended goals."

Clinton pledged during the one-day visit that American support for Iraq would continue despite the planned drawdown of US troops that will see them leave the country by the end of 2011.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, meanwhile, pointed out that "conditions were very hard before 2007 and many thought that we would not be able to move forward, but we did so by way of reform and achieved successes."

"Most of those who undertake suicide operations are from outside of Iraq," he said, in a statement released after his meeting with Clinton.

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari described the talks held with Clinton as "useful" and said Baghdad was committed to sticking to the troop withdrawal timetable signed with Washington last November.

Clinton, who flew in from Kuwait, was greeted at Baghdad airport by the newly-arrived US ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Hill, US military commander Admiral Michael Mullen, and Zebari.

She met American military commanders including the top US commander in Iraq General Ray Odierno, President Jalal Talabani and the UN secretary general's special representative to Iraq, Staffan de Mistura.

She also held a "town hall" event at the US embassy in which she took questions from an invited audience of about 140 Iraqis, including students, teachers and members of women's groups, some of whom expressed security fears.

"We are not going to tell you how to resolve internal political issues, you have to decide that," Clinton said. "But we will continue to work very, very hard to give you the tools to make sure that you have a secure country."

The secretary of state's trip came two weeks after President Barack Obama visited Baghdad and warned that the next 18 months in Iraq would be "critical".

In February, Obama announced a new strategy that will see most combat troops withdraw by August 2010, although a force of up to 50,000 will remain until the end of the following year.

Hundreds of worshippers had gathered to pray at the historic Imam Musa al-Kadhim shrine in the predominantly Shiite neighbourhood of Kadhimiyah in northern Baghdad when the attackers struck at lunchtime on Friday.





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1 comments:

  Dr. John Maszka

May 9, 2009 at 9:39 AM

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