'Dramatic' consequences without US-Iraq troop accord: Gates

IRAQ WARS

Kazakhstan withdraws troops from Iraq
Kazakhstan on Tuesday pulled its small contingent of about 30 military engineers out of Iraq, the defence ministry of the ex-Soviet state said in a statement. "On October 21, Kazakhstan's engineering-demining detachment was withdrawn from Iraq," the ministry said. The withdrawal took place "at the request of the Iraqi government and in connection with the significant stabilisation of the situation" in the Middle Eastern country, it added. On Monday, the Kazakh troops and the last 85 Georgian soldiers in Iraq left Kut, 175 kilometres (109 miles) south of Baghdad, after a ceremony to hand over responsibility for their mission to Iraqi forces. The troops from the oil-rich Central Asian state were responsible for demining operations. Kazakhstan committed its first contingent to the US-led coalition in Iraq in August 2003.

by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Oct 21, 2008
US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates warned Tuesday of "pretty dramatic" consequences of not having an accord governing the presence of US troops in Iraq.

"The consequences of not having a SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) and of not having a renewed UN authorization are pretty dramatic in terms of consequences for our actions," said Gates, speaking to members of three news agencies including AFP.

A status of forces agreement would replace the current UN mandate -- which expires December 31 -- as the legal basis for the US military presence in Iraq.

"Clearly, the clock is ticking," said Gates. "Clearly there is a need to keep moving just so that we don't run out of time."

According to Gates there are "only two alternatives: the SOFA or a renewed UN mandate, and going back to the UN at this point there is no assurance that you get a clean rollover," Gates said.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us Digg Reddit

YahooMyWeb Google Facebook

Related Links
Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

IRAQ WARS

US insists Iraq pact guarantees sovereignty

Baghdad (AFP) Oct 20, 2008
The United States insisted on Monday that a planned security pact with Baghdad would ensure full Iraqi sovereignty as local leaders pored over the deal amid fierce opposition by some key players.

ENERGY TECH Biodiesel Derived From Pennycress Proton Energy Systems Fuels US Army CSIRO Technology Helps China Strike Oil CSIRO Recharges Energy Ties With China	CIVIL NUCLEAR Swedish reactor halted after flaw found at similar plant: agency Czech nuclear plant shuts after turbine fault China to help Pakistan build two more nuclear plants Finnish reactor start-up may be delayed until 2012: company
BLUE SKY Measuring The Weight Of Ancient Air On Rocky Mountain Beetle Kill Could Impact Regional Air Quality An Explanation For Night-Shining Clouds At The Edge Of Space Seabird Ammonia Emissions Contribute To Atmospheric Acidity	WOOD PILE SKorea announces new 14.2 bln dlr plan to develop wetlands ESA Leads The Way To Map Boreal Forest When It Comes To Forest Soil, Wildfires Pack 1-2 Punch EU seeks tougher rules on illegal logging
FARM NEWS Researchers Turning Freshwater Farm Ponds Into Crab Farms Syrian grain output strangled by drought Tuna under threat in key SE Asia ecosystem: WWF Crop Diversity Key To Ensuring Global Food Supply	CAR TECH Taiwan's bicycle makers riding high amid global financial crisis Software thwarts mobile phone chatting while driving Beijing's new traffic rules fail to curb gridlock, pollution Promising New Material That Could Improve Gas Mileage
AEROSPACE Energy Department has high school contest Researchers Scientists Perform High Altitude Experiments Airbus expecting 'large' China order by early 2009: CEO Airbus globalises production with China plant	NUCLEAR SPACE

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement