Maliki says Baathists will never take power again.
- 12 years ago
The U.S. drawdown is underway in Iraq.
U.S. forces are packing up and moving on.
Now Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is countering talk from former members of Saddam Hussein's banned Baath Party that Iraq will experience a security vacuum after the U.S. has gone, allowing them to reclaim power.
SOUNDBITE: Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki , saying (Arabic):
"They (Baathists) have plans after the withdrawal of the U.S. forces. They mistakenly think that there will be a security vacuum and this is one of their illusions and also illusions of some of the people. No, never. It (security vacuum) will not take place because we are responsible to provide security even with the presence of the U.S. forces. They think that kind of instability will take place (in Iraq)," he said.
Maliki's statement comes as Iraq arrested hundreds of former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party over what some senior officials describe as a plot to seize power after U.S. troops withdraw at year's end.
While several officials characterized the round-up, which began last week, as the foiling of a specific plot, others said it was a precautionary measure before the U.S. withdrawal, nearly nine years after the 2003 invasion that ousted Saddam.
After ousting Saddam, U.S. forces dissolved the Iraqi security forces and purged state institutions of members of his Sunni-dominated Baath party, moves that contributed to a bloody Sunni insurgency. Iraq has since tried to bring some Baath party members not accused of major crimes back into public life.
Some fear the crackdown could further alienate Sunnis, many of whom are deeply suspicious of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government.
But the U.S. is confident Iraqis can maintain their own security
Major General Jeffrey Buchanan in Baghdad was made available to Reuters by the Pentagon.
SOUNDBITE: Major General Jeffrey Buchanan , saying (English):
"The Iraqi security forces have had the lead for internal security since the summer of 2010 and by literally any measure you want use, whether it the of attacks per day or the number of causalities they have been doing a credible job. Security is up and these level of attacks continue to go down . So they have been doing fine.So this does not mean they don't have room to improve or that the people have the security that they deserve ."
The United States has about 36,000 troops in Iraq. They will be withdrawn by Dec. 31 according to the terms of a 2008 bilateral security pact.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters
U.S. forces are packing up and moving on.
Now Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is countering talk from former members of Saddam Hussein's banned Baath Party that Iraq will experience a security vacuum after the U.S. has gone, allowing them to reclaim power.
SOUNDBITE: Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki , saying (Arabic):
"They (Baathists) have plans after the withdrawal of the U.S. forces. They mistakenly think that there will be a security vacuum and this is one of their illusions and also illusions of some of the people. No, never. It (security vacuum) will not take place because we are responsible to provide security even with the presence of the U.S. forces. They think that kind of instability will take place (in Iraq)," he said.
Maliki's statement comes as Iraq arrested hundreds of former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party over what some senior officials describe as a plot to seize power after U.S. troops withdraw at year's end.
While several officials characterized the round-up, which began last week, as the foiling of a specific plot, others said it was a precautionary measure before the U.S. withdrawal, nearly nine years after the 2003 invasion that ousted Saddam.
After ousting Saddam, U.S. forces dissolved the Iraqi security forces and purged state institutions of members of his Sunni-dominated Baath party, moves that contributed to a bloody Sunni insurgency. Iraq has since tried to bring some Baath party members not accused of major crimes back into public life.
Some fear the crackdown could further alienate Sunnis, many of whom are deeply suspicious of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government.
But the U.S. is confident Iraqis can maintain their own security
Major General Jeffrey Buchanan in Baghdad was made available to Reuters by the Pentagon.
SOUNDBITE: Major General Jeffrey Buchanan , saying (English):
"The Iraqi security forces have had the lead for internal security since the summer of 2010 and by literally any measure you want use, whether it the of attacks per day or the number of causalities they have been doing a credible job. Security is up and these level of attacks continue to go down . So they have been doing fine.So this does not mean they don't have room to improve or that the people have the security that they deserve ."
The United States has about 36,000 troops in Iraq. They will be withdrawn by Dec. 31 according to the terms of a 2008 bilateral security pact.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters