U.S. Defense Secretary’s statement, justification for extension of his troops presence in Iraq, Kurdish Leader says

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Legislature of the Kurdistan Coalition, Mahmoud Othman, has described the statement of U.S. Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, in which he said he would attack Shiite Militias if they attack his troops, had been a “justification for the extension of the presence of those troops in Iraq.”   “Panetta should not have used the expression ‘Shiite Militias’, being a wrong expression, because he had meant the so-called ‘The Promised Day’ Brigade,’ belonging to the Sadrist Trend,” Othman told IraqiNews.com news agency.   “He should have said he would defend himself against any militia that would attack him, because there are Sunni militias and al-Qaeda organization that attack his forces as well, and not only Shiite groups,” Othman said.   The U.S. Defense Secretary had said during his current visit for Iraq had said that his country’s forces in Iraq would carry unilateral military operations against Shiite groups that carry out attacks against American soldiers in Iraq .   “What Panetta had meant had been attacks against Iran as well, as he wanted to say that there were Shiite militias getting support from Iran, striving to attack the American forces in Iraq; and in this event, the Americans would defend themselves,” Othman said, adding that “the said case would be a justification by the Americans to stay in Iraq for a longer period.”   Othman said that the Iraqi government “has to ban any attacks against the Americans, and prevent Americans to attack the groups, belonging to the Sadrist Trend, because they are participants in the government; and the brothers in the Sadrist Trend must not attack the American troops, because this would lead to passive results, giving the Americans the justification to bring additional groups, under the claim to defend themselves and extend their presence in Iraq.”   Noteworthy is that the Security Agreement, signed between Iraq and the United States , the American troops should end their military presence in Iraq and withdraw from the country by the end of the year 2011.   SKH (FT)