In a letter to U.S. military personnel on new rules of engagement, General Ray Odierno said U.S. forces would reduce their visibility, but that this does not mean “any reduction in our fundamental ability to protect ourselves.” Odierno wrote that U.S. forces would “coordinate operations with the agreement of the GoI (Government of Iraq), and we will conduct all operations through, with and through the Iraqi security forces. … Despite some adjustments in the way we conduct operations, the agreement only strengthens the transitions already underway and I want to emphasize that our general principles remain unchanged,” he added. [41] Continued security gains and the growing capacity and confidence of the Iraqi government and security forces are reasons why the United States and The Iraqis have been able to negotiate these agreements. General Raymond Odierno said some U.S. forces would remain at local security posts, as training and tutoring teams would be on duty in June 2009 beyond the deadline set in the Agreement on the Status of the Armed Forces. By contrast, Gates estimated that by June 30, U.S. troops will be “coming from cities and populated areas.” “That`s where we`ll have handed over the 18 provinces of the Iraqi province,” he predicted. [42] A spokesman for Odierno, Lieutenant-Colonel James Hutton, said that the soldiers in the cities were not combat troops, but “enablers” who would provide services such as medical care, air traffic control and helicopter assistance that the Iraqis cannot carry out themselves. [43] Odierno`s statements have sparked outrage from some Iraqi lawmakers who say the United States is paving the way for a violation of the interim agreement.
[44] The agreement between the United States and Iraq (an agreement between the United States of America and the Republic of Iraq on the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq and the organization of their activities during their temporary presence in Iraq) was an agreement on the status of the armed forces (SOFA) between Iraq and the United States, signed in 2008 by President George W. Bush. It was decided that U.S. troops would withdraw from Iraqi cities by June 30, 2009 and that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq completely by December 31, 2011. [1] The pact called for criminal prosecution for the detention of prisoners for more than 24 hours and an arrest warrant for searching houses and buildings that had nothing to do with the fighting. [1] U.S.
contractors working for U.S. forces were reportedly subject to Iraqi criminal law, while contractors worked for the State Department and other U.S. forces.