NYT: U.S. to Hand Iraq a New Timetable on Security Role

[Eugene]

U.S. to Hand Iraq a New Timetable on Security Role

By DAVID S. CLOUD
Published: October 22, 2006

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 — The Bush administration is drafting a timetable
for the Iraqi government to address sectarian divisions and assume
a larger role in securing the country, senior American officials said.

Details of the blueprint, which is to be presented to Prime Minister
Nuri Kamal al-Maliki before the end of the year and would be carried out
over the next year and beyond, are still being devised. But the officials
said that for the first time Iraq was likely to be asked to agree to a
schedule of specific milestones, like disarming sectarian militias, and
to a broad set of other political, economic and military benchmarks
intended to stabilize the country.

Although the plan would not threaten Mr. Maliki with a withdrawal of
American troops, several officials said the Bush administration would
consider changes in military strategy and other penalties if Iraq balked
at adopting it or failed to meet critical benchmarks within it.

A senior Pentagon official involved in drafting the blueprint said that
Iraqi officials were being consulted as the plan evolved and would be
invited to sign off on the milestones before the end of the year. But he
added, “If the Iraqis fail to come back to us on this, we would have to
conduct a reassessment” of the American strategy in Iraq.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/22/world/middleeast/22policy.html?hp&ex=1161489600&en=28960a97f284e791&ei=5094&partner=homepage

From Reuters...

Newspaper says U.S. now has Iraq security timetable
21 Oct 2006 22:56:49 GMT
Source: Reuters

-snip-

But a White House spokeswoman disputed the account.

"The story is not accurate, but we are constantly developing new tactics to
achieve our goal," White House spokeswoman Nicole Guillemard said.

"We've been coordinating with the Iraqis for months on a series of measures they
can take to assume more control of their country, and to form the basis for a
national compact between all communities in Iraq on the way forward."

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N21278155.htm