2008 turning point for Iraq war –paper

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A troop “surge,” a coalition of tribes turning against armed groups, and a cease-fire by Shiite militia groups have contributed to security gains in Iraq that took root early in the year and got firmer with each passing month, Stars and Stripes said on Wednesday. “The year in Iraq culminated with the signing of a security agreement spelling out a full U.S. withdrawal by 2011,” the independent news source that operates from inside the U.S. Department of Defense noted. “U.S. and Iraqi officials — after sometimes torturous negotiations — agree on a security pact that calls for an end to the U.S. military presence in Iraq by 2011. The agreement also puts new restrictions on American combat operations in Iraq starting Jan. 1 and calls for U.S. combat troops to leave urban areas by June 30. The timelines are a departure from previous Bush administration refusals to set dates for a withdrawal. The agreement also gives some legal jurisdiction to Iraq for serious crimes committed by Americans who are off duty and off base,” it noted. “Bloodshed eases in Iraq this year with the ‘surge’ of 35,000 troops, peaking in late 2007, and the effectiveness of the ‘Sons of Iraq,’ U.S.-paid armed civilian groups. Militant Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also calls for a unilateral cease-fire by his militia. Iraqi forces, trained by coalition troops, have taken over some security duties, although their skills are seen as uneven. Despite the progress, U.S. troops continued to be wary, and roadside bombs and suicide bombers, including women, continued to maim and claim lives of soldiers as well as Iraqi civilians,” it added. SS (S) 1