Iraqis accomplish 90% on the way to replace U.S. – minister

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Defense Ministry accomplished 90 percent of the missions to receive security responsibility after the withdrawal of Multi National Forces (MNF) from Iraq on June 30, the Iraqi defense minister said Monday. “The security file of the five remaining provinces will be handed to Iraqi forces after June, 30,” Abdulqadir Jassim al-Ubiedi said in a press conference in Baghdad attended by IraqiNews.com news agency. “After U.S. withdrawal from Iraqi cities, Iraq will have air and engineering support,” he said. On December 13, 2008, the Iraqi government signed a long-term agreement with the United States, known as the Status-of-Forces Agreement (SOFA) to regulate the presence and withdrawal of foreign troops in the country after 2008. Under the agreement, a complete troop withdrawal from Iraq is supposed to take place by the end of 2011. The pact also stipulates that all U.S. combat troops must leave Iraqi cities and towns on June 30. MH (P)/SH 1