More at stake than security in pullout deal with US

Baghdad: When considering the security agreement currently being negotiated between the US and Iraq, most people are looking only at its security aspects, but much more is at stake, Gulf News learned.

Iraq stands to gain from advancements in the technology, agriculture, science, trade and industry sectors, Talal Abdullah, a researcher at the Al Mustansiriya University in Baghdad explained.

"What is most important is for Iraq to overcome 18 years of economic sanctions placed upon it by the UN Security Council during Saddam's reign," Hatim Al Shaikhli, a 47-year old Iraqi doctor, told Gulf News.

Many Iraqis have responded to religious fatwas calling for resistance in the event of a signed agreement with the United States. But, Muthana Radwan, a journalist and political analyst explained that this is not in Iraq's best interests.

"Iraq needs major political, security and managerial reforms and many of the political forces have not yet rid themselves of sectarian ideologies," Radwan said.

Disagreement: Fallout from US pact

Shiite parties in Iraq's ruling coalition said on Sunday they wanted changes made to a draft of a security pact with the United States that Iraqi officials had previously described as final.

The draft, announced this week after months of negotiations, requires US troops to leave Iraq at the end of 2011 unless Baghdad asks them to stay.

Leaders of Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki's ruling Shiite alliance met on Saturday to hear the prime minister give a review of the pact, the alliance said in a statement.

"Beside the positive points that were included in this pact, there are other points that need more time, more discussion, more dialogue and amendments to some articles," it said. "A committee was formed to gather the comments of the members of the alliance."

The call for changes to the draft appears to contradict Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari, who said on Saturday that Washington and Baghdad consider the draft final and that it would be difficult to reopen it.

Zebari said Iraq's parliament would be sent the draft to approve or reject but would not be permitted to make changes.

The Shiite alliance includes Maliki's Dawa Party and its powerful rival the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (ISCI), which jointly contested the 2005 election that brought Maliki to power but now have separate blocs in parliament.

- Reuters