tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31588679.post1432146504316250262..comments2023-10-21T16:25:58.899+01:00Comments on Three Score Years And Ten: Welcome The Iraqi ReferendumHarry Barneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01600933854461096745noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31588679.post-11222363807218495162008-11-30T10:42:00.000+00:002008-11-30T10:42:00.000+00:00Anand : Thanks for the information. There has been...Anand : Thanks for the information. There has been little in the UK media about this development, partly due to a concentration on Mumbai. Even details on the riots and killings in Jos (which I once visited) have been thin. When neither British people or our Government are involved, we get little. It is best to watch forgeign media outlets.Harry Barneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01833380054575757928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31588679.post-43685621376513383742008-11-30T02:39:00.000+00:002008-11-30T02:39:00.000+00:00Harry, by June, the plan is for the MNF-I to be re...Harry, by June, the plan is for the MNF-I to be restricted to only:<BR/>1) training and equipping the ISF<BR/>2) Special Forces anti terrorist missions (each of which have to be individually approved by Iraq's PM.)<BR/><BR/>All MNF-I missions in PIC provinces have to be approved by the PM of Iraq on a case by case basis. All of Iraq will be PIC by June.<BR/><BR/>The IA and IP strongly desires additional training and equipping by the MNF-I. For this reason, I think the referendum passes next year.<BR/><BR/>There is a problem, however; the Iraqi air force and air defense will not be ready by the end of 2011. They will want additional training and equipping after that point. This would have to be negotiated by the next Iraqi government.<BR/><BR/>President Obama is opposed to long term bases in Iraq, but might be open to a training mission if:<BR/>1) the Iraqis want it<BR/>2) the Iraqis meet certain conditions that the US specifies.<BR/><BR/>In fact, many Kurds and Sunni Arabs threatened to vote againts the SOFA agreement because they were opposed to all MNF-I leaving by the end of 2011, and they didn't like the extent to which the MNF-I were under the command and control of the Iraqi PM. They felt that this gave the PM too much power. (Every MNF-I mission needs to be approved by the Iraqi PM.)Anandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03040200275831896147noreply@blogger.com