The government in Baghdad is getting ready to accept the presence of over 15,000 U.S. troops in Iraq in order to protect U.S. interests beyond the deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops set for the end of 2011, reported Tuesday an Iraqi newspaper, cited by Xinhua. “The Iraqi government will establish a special status that will allow 15,000 troops to remain in Iraq after this year”, al-Mashriq newspaper reported citing well-informed sources.
According to the newspaper, thousands of employees working for foreign security companies will also remain in the country to protect U.S. embassy personnel, U.S. contractors, engineers and investors.
“The withdrawal of U.S. troops will be announced, as it was set, at the end of 2011, and the American troops role will be to protect the embassy staff, foreign diplomatic corps and international companies in the country”, said the newspaper quoted.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki intends to send a mission to Iran to the Iranian authorities to explain this decision and to give assurances that the U.S. troops that will remain on Iraqi territory will not be used against Iran, informs al-Mashriq.
In mid 2010, the U.S. presence in Iraq has been reduced to less than 50,000 troops. Washington has said that troops remain in Iraq will be leading support missions and training for the Iraqi military.
On other news, Iraqi authorities announced Monday that more than 14,000 people have disappeared since 2003 and have established a inquiry commission, indicating for the first time the magnitude of the tragedy in Iraq after the war.
“A department of the Ministry for Human Rights charged with this file counted 14,025 people missing in Iraq since 2003 until today. Of these, seven have been identified at the morgue”, said Camel Arakan, a representative of the ministry during a press conference in Baghdad.
Iraqi prime minister’s military office head, General Farouk al-Araji, will lead the “high commission” charged with the investigation of missing persons.
So far no official statistics were presented on the number of Iraqis missing after the war, which triggered interreligious conflicts and a wave of violent acts linked to Al Qaeda.