BAGHDAD: US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sought to assure Iraqis yesterday that the Obama administration would not abandon their country even as it presses ahead with plans to withdraw American troops amid a recent surge in violence.
Clinton said the drawdown would be handled in a “responsible and careful way” and would not affect efforts to improve Iraq’s security forces, or complete reconstruction and development projects.
But Iraqis, and particularly their security forces, need to overcome sectarian and other differences if they are to build a united, secure nation, she said.
“Let me assure you and repeat what President Obama said, we are committed to Iraq, we want to see a stable, sovereign, self-reliant Iraq,” she told a nervous but receptive crowd at a town hall meeting at the US Embassy in the capital.
“We are very committed, but the nature of our commitment may look somewhat different because we are going to be withdrawing our combat troops over the next couple of years,” Clinton added.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari welcomed the overture. “The secretary’s message today to all of us was a very assuring message that the United States would continue to support the efforts of the Iraqi government and the enhancement of Iraqi security and stability,” he said later at a joint news conference.
He also said he had reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the timetable despite concerns that the surge in attacks could prompt a need to reconsider a June 30 deadline for the United States to withdraw combat soldiers from Iraqi cities.
“We are doing our utmost and we are coordinating very closely with the multinational forces to ensure that there is no vacuum when that happens, that security is viable,” he said.
On her first trip to Iraq as America’s top diplomat, Clinton said the country has made great strides despite the recent surge in violence. High-profile attacks this past week primarily targeted Shiites. More than 150 people, many of them Iranian visitors, have died.
