Hints about extension of U.S. troops presence shall have passive impacts on Iraq, Sadrist spokesman says.

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Chairman of the Political Commission of Iraq’s Shiite al-Sadr Movement, Karrar al-Khafajy, has rejected hints by some political forces and the United States, calling for the extension of the presence of the U.S. occupation forces in the country after the end of the current year. “The Sadrist Trend rejects media comments against its national attitude to reject the extension of the occupation forces and calls on the other political blocs to announce their brave attitude before the Iraqi people,” Khafajy said, stressing that “the hints about the presence of the occupation forces shall have passive impacts on Iraq’s political future.”  Khafajy also called on the “Iraqi public opinion to stand against the attempts, striving to extend the presence of the occupation forces in Iraq.” Noteworthy is that the U.S. combat troops had withdrawn from Iraq at the end of August last, according to the Security Agreement, signed between Baghdad and Washington at the end of 2008, and the remaining U.S. non-combat forces, estimated to reach 50,000, would withdraw before the end of this year, whilst Washington had given hints about possibility of the extension of its troops presence in Iraq, if the latter demanded that. SKH (IT) 652