U.S. top commander meets Iraqi officials on transference of security responsibility

[sabra]

Source: Voice of Iraq

Baghdad, Jul 19, (VOI) – U.S. top commander in Iraq General David Petraeus discussed with a number of Iraqi officials, including the National Security Adviser Mowafaq al-Rubaie, the reasons behind delaying the handover of security responsibilities to the Iraqi forces, a sources from the Cabinet said on Thursday.

"General Petraeus held a meeting, today afternoon, with Mowafaq al-Rubaie, National Security Adviser, and a number of defense and security officials, and the representative of the Iraqi armed forces Commander-in-Chief at the Conferences Hall of the Cabinet in Baghdad," the source, who preferred his name not to be mentioned, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) over the phone.
The source added that the in-camera meeting discussed "reasons of delay in transferring security responsibilities" from the Multi-National Forces to the Iraqi forces.

"The top officials of the Iraqi security forces, who attended the meeting, attributed the delay to shortage of equipment, insufficient number of troops, and low budget allocated to handle these problems," said the source noting that "it is agreed, in the meeting, that each security apparatus will separately present its problems and needs."

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