Deputy Prime Minister Salih seeks renewed international commitment

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih, in London yesterday for a meeting with Tony Blair, called on U.S.-led forces to stay the course in Iraq. The meeting came as Prime Minister al-Maliki called for enhanced intervention by Iraqi forces in light of the recent rash of militia-instigated violence in Amarah. The Washington Post quoted Salih as saying, “I do believe there is no option for the international community to cut and run.” With Iraqi troops poised to secure seven provinces by year end, according to Salih, Iraqi forces are making progress, but international commitment is still necessary. He stated, “We understand that this cannot be an open-ended commitment by the international community.”

Blair and British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett echoed Salih, with the BBC News quoting Blair as saying that the UK will “hold its nerve” in the nation, and Beckett stressing that a pull-out wouldn’t occur until the Iraqi government could “cope”.

For full article by The Washington Post click here

For full article by BBC News click here