Shiite Muslims march in Najaf on Aug. 21 to denounce the presence of U.S. troops and talks with Washington.Agreement On U.S. Withdrawal From Iraq Said To Be In Peril As Maliki Ousts Negotiators -- L.A. Times
The Times is told that the prime minister has replaced the team with loyalists at the 'make-or-break' stage of talks. The two sides reportedly remain deadlocked on key issues.
BAGHDAD -- At the "make-or-break" stage of talks with the U.S. on the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has swept aside his negotiating team and replaced it with three of his closest aides, a reshuffle that some Iraqi officials warn risks sabotaging the agreement.
The decision on the team negotiating the pact, which the Americans have described as the basis of a long-term strategic alliance between the United States and Iraq, remains so sensitive that it has not been announced. In disclosing the switch to the Los Angeles Times this weekend, a senior Iraqi official close to Maliki also suggested that the two sides remained deadlocked on key issues.
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My Comment: This must be a cultural thing for Arabs, and something that I have learned from personal experience on a number of occasions. When it comes to making the hard decisions ... they try their best not to. A security agreement is important for both Iraq and the U.S., but not that important so that a decision has to be made now. Ipso facto .... the decision is delayed.
The only thing that the Americans can do is be patient, and let the different Arab sects sort themselves out in Iraq.