Iraqi forces ready to handle security – MP, military commander

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A member of the Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee agrees with the official spokesperson of the Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) that Iraq’s security forces are ready to receive the country’s security folder, if the Multi-National Forces (MNF) decided to withdraw from Iraq. “If the U.S. side wants to reduce its forces’ deployment period in Iraq from 24 to 16 months, then Iraqi security forces have the full ability to receive the security folders throughout the country,” lawmaker Abbass al-Bayiati told IraqiNews.com news agency. “The latest provincial election proved the ability of Iraqi forces to preserve security,” he said. “There is an Iraqi division in each province, in addition to police forces,” he explained. “The role of the MNF is limited to air support, and the Iraqi airforce is trying to satisfy this requirement,” he proceeded. “The U.S. president makes decisions about his troops’ presence in Iraq relying on reports issued by the Department of Defense (DOD),” he noted. “President Barack Obama confirmed to the Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki that any step regarding the U.S. forces withdrawal from Iraq will be taken in coordination with the Iraqi side, according to the Iraq-U.S. security pact,” he asserted. For his part, General Qassim Atta, the BOC’s official spokesperson, said that Iraq’s current military policy considers the worse case scenario being that U.S. forces would withdraw from Iraq. “Iraqi security forces are getting closer to receiving the security folders, as per the Iraqi-U.S. agreement,” he added. MH (P)/SR 1