Iraq, US to sign military handover pact on September 7...first step.

[madfloridian]

toward leaving? What does this mean, is it show, is it real?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060906/wl_mideast_afp/iraqsecurityus_060906155239

"Iraq and the US military will sign a delayed accord under which coalition forces will hand command of Iraqi armed forces to the government, according to a spokesman for the Iraqi premier.

"The accord will be signed tomorrow in the presence of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and General George Casey," the head of the coalition forces in Iraq, Ali al-Dabaqh said Wednesday.

The agreement was initially to be signed on Saturday, but the handover ceremony was abruptly cancelled after disagreements on the Iraqi side over who should sign the handover on the government's behalf.

Dabaqh said Maliki will name a senior official to sign the agreement, but did not reveal who this would be.

The accord means setting up a Iraqi joint military command for the army, navy and air force, which will gradually take full operational control of Iraq's armed forces, including 115,000 US-trained ground troops."

Interesting.

[Egnever]

1. In my opinion this is a last ditch effort

To try and save the "Iraqi" government. With the country degenerating into a perpetual state of civil war they have to appear to be trying to take control away from the americans and be making progress to-wards removing them. Clearly the notion of american forces keeping the peace is completely blown out of the water at this point.

It appears to me as an attempt to calm the waters.

I hope it works.

I doubt it is shrubs idea. His line is stay the course. Or maybe thats why we have been hearing the recent spat of "adapting to conditions on the ground" perhaps they were trying to lay the groundwork for cover for this knowing it was coming.

Again I hope it works the situation there is clearly untenable.

[lvx35]

2. Again? I thought this happened already...

...I remember some kind of handover ritual.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. Looks like another meaningless gesture.

"will gradually take full operational control of Iraq's armed forces" No definition of "gradually".

[ConcernedCanuk]

4. "Air Force?" - what. - a few Cessnas to fight the USA's stealth bombers?

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.
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And them murderous Warthogs?

Give them some ultra-lites to protect themselves.

And Navy? - Does Iraq even have a naval force anymore?

Oh wait,

Maybe we can help them out with our new Stealthy Canuk Coastal Defense Impovement Fleet

[radfringe]

5. which will gradually take full operational control of Iraq's armed forces

means nothing until full operation control actually occurs... IMO - it's just window dressing to give the appearance of progress...moving forward..yadda..yadda..yadda..

The agreement was initially to be signed on Saturday, but the handover ceremony was abruptly cancelled after disagreements on the Iraqi side over who should sign the handover on the government's behalf.

if they can't decide who would sign it, then how the hell are they going to decide who will run it?