Deals and Talks on 'Remarkably' Quiet Day in Iraq

Wext: Tuesday, 20.April. @ 00:00:00 CEST

Mijar:

By Michael Georgy .

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters)
- A fledgling deal was struck to end fighting in Iraq's Sunni guerrilla stronghold of Falluja and U.S. forces gave Iraqi mediators more time to resolve a standoff with a rebel Shi'ite cleric and his militia.

U.S. military spokesman Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt said the 24 hours to Monday evening had been "remarkably" quiet in Iraq, with no troops killed and attacks well below the average of some 50 over the last two weeks.

U.S.-funded Iraqiya Television said two of its staff were killed by U.S. forces while working in Samarra, north of Baghdad. The U.S. military had no immediate information.

In blows for U.S.-led forces in Iraq, Spain began withdrawing its 1,400 troops on Monday and Honduras said it was considering a possible pullout of its 370 soldiers in the wake of Madrid's decision at the weekend.

President Bush said in phone talks with new Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero he regretted Spain's decision and warned Madrid against giving "false comfort to terrorists," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

Bush, campaigning for re-election in November, signaled the importance he attaches to Iraq by appointing the top U.S. diplomat at the United Nations, John Negroponte, to be his ambassador to Baghdad.

The U.S.-led administration in Iraq said U.S.-led forces would not resume an offensive against the Sunni guerrillas holed up in the bloodied city of Falluja, some 50 km (30 miles) west of Baghdad, if they turned in their heavy weapons.

Negotiators had agreed after three days of talks to work toward a real and lasting cease-fire in Falluja, said Dan Senor, the administration's chief spokesman.

FLARE-UPS OF FIGHTING

It was unclear how much influence Falluja officials have on the estimated 1,000-2,000 guerrillas as flare-ups of fighting have occurred during a shaky truce over the past 10 days.

"The parties agreed that (U.S.-led) coalition forces do not intend to resume offensive operations if the persons in the city turn in their heavy weapons," Senor said.

Iraqi police and U.S. troops would start joint patrols in Falluja to try and restore order, he said.

U.S. forces launched a crackdown in Falluja after a spate of violence, including the killing and mutilation of four U.S. contractors in the town on March 31. They encircled it and vowed to capture those responsible for the killings.

Senor said a present curfew would start two hours later at 9 p.m. (1700 GMT) and there would be unfettered access to Falluja hospital, food and medicine would be provided to isolated areas and ambulances would be allowed to move freely.

On top of a months old battle against Sunni guerrillas, U.S.-led forces have faced a new front this month against Shi'ite fighters led by rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

New Pentagon figures showed 110 U.S. soldiers had been killed in action since March 31 when U.S. troops launched a major crackdown against guerrillas -- more than in the three-week war that ousted Saddam Hussein.

Since U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq in March last year, 509 U.S. soldiers have been killed in action.

Hundreds of Iraqis, many civilians, were killed in an upsurge of violence in the country that began on March 31.

U.S. FORCES POISED OUTSIDE NAJAF

The commander of 2,500 U.S. troops outside Najaf, a holy city to Iraq's Shi'ite majority, said he would allow time for talks before any attempt to enter the city to seize Sadr -- which could spark a wider and bloodier uprising.

"Because of where negotiations are right now, we can wait," Colonel Dana Pittard said. "We still want Iraqis to solve the problem."

The U.S. military has said it wants to kill or capture Sadr, who is holed up in Najaf, and destroy his Mehdi Army militia. It says Sadr is wanted by an Iraqi judge in connection with the murder of another cleric.

Spain's new Socialist government said the process of withdrawing the 1,400 Spanish troops in Iraq -- the sixth largest contingent in U.S.-led forces -- had begun and would be completed in less than six weeks.

Zapatero said on Sunday he made the pullout decision in line with an election pledge because he did not see the United Nations taking over security arrangements on June 30 when Washington plans to hand over power to Iraqis.
Honduras announced its review of its troop presence in Iraq in a fresh sign of nervousness among some countries in the U.S.-led coalition over the latest violence.

"The government has ordered an urgent and detailed evaluation of the situation," Foreign Minister Leonidas Rosa Bautista told reporters.

Bush, who says stamping out the violence in Iraq is part of his war on terror and vital to U.S. security, said Negroponte would take up his ambassador post after the U.S. handover on June 30, when U.S. Governor Paul Bremer will stand down.

"John Negroponte is a man of enormous experience and skill. That's why I'm comfortable in asking him to serve in this very difficult assignment," Bush told reporters at the White House.


Source: Reuters









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