Region | Iraq
Odierno alleges Iranian mischief
The commander of US forces in Iraq said on Sunday that American intelligence reports suggest Iran has attempted to bribe Iraqi lawmakers in an effort to derail a bilateral agreement that would allow US troops to remain in Iraq after the end of this year.
- By Ernesto Londono, Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service
- Published: 23:28 October 13, 2008
Baghdad: The commander of US forces in Iraq said on Sunday that American intelligence reports suggest Iran has attempted to bribe Iraqi lawmakers in an effort to derail a bilateral agreement that would allow US troops to remain in Iraq after the end of this year.
General Ray Odierno said in an interview that Iran is working publicly and covertly to undermine the status-of-forces agreement as officials from Iraq and the United States report nearing a deal that must be ratified by Iraq's parliament.
"Clearly, this is one they're having a full court press on to try to ensure there's never any bilateral agreement between the United States and Iraq," Odierno said in an interview.
"We know that there are many relationships with people here for many years going back to when Saddam was in charge, and I think they're utilising those contacts to attempt to influence the outcome of the potential vote in the Council of Representatives."
No definitive proof
Odierno said he had no definitive proof of the bribes, but added, "there are many intelligence reports" that suggest Iranians are "coming in to pay off people to vote against it". The reports have not been made public.
The UN resolution that sanctions the presence of US troops in Iraq expires on December 31. Failure to reach a deal could hasten the withdrawal of US troops and allow Iran to expand its influence in Iraq.
Iranian officials accuse the United States of using Tehran as a scapegoat for what Iranian officials describe as failed American policy in Iraq.
Many Iraqi lawmakers and government officials, including Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, spent time in exile in Iran during Saddam Hussain's rule and tend to value Iraq's close relationship with its largest neighbour, which is also a key trading partner.
In recent months, Iran has courted potential allies in Iraq's parliament, including Kurds and Sunnis, said Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman. The Sunni speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Mahmoud Al Mashadani, recently travelled to Iran on an official visit.
"Iran has been doing this for the last six months," said Othman, a vocal backer of the bilateral agreement, who said he has not been approached by Iran. "They will try their best to influence anyone they can. They will tell people that this is dangerous, that this is not good for Iraq."
Odierno said Iran's alleged efforts to derail the agreement could backfire.
"I truly believe that Iraqis are nationalists," he said. "They want to choose on their own what's best for their country and they don't want somebody else to decide what's in their best interest."
Iraqi and US officials have spent months negotiating agreements that would cover the rights and responsibilities of American forces and establish legal authority for their presence after the UN mandate expires.
Whether American troops will be granted full immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law, or limited immunity that would exclude transgressions that occur off-base, while off duty, has emerged as the most contentious issue.
Al Maliki said reaching an agreement is important. But he faces a loss of political support if he signs off on a deal that is perceived to prolong what many Iraqis see as a US occupation and that appears to give Americans free rein in his country.
Odierno, 53, took over as the top US military official in Iraq last month, replacing General David Petraeus who, last year, oversaw the deployment of an additional 30,000 troops. Odierno was Petraeus's deputy during that period.
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