Agreement with five rebel groups near - Talabani
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Agreement with five rebel groups near - Talabani BAGHDAD, April 11 (KUNA) -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said on Wednesday that the withdrawal of the US troops from Iraq was unrealistic at the current stage, unveiling at the same time that an agreement with five armed rebel group was near.
Speaking at a news conference in Baghdad, Talabani said that the political council for national security has asked the government to submit a request to the UN to extend presence of foreign troops in Iraq until the Iraqi military forces can be able to shoulder such responsibilities by themselves.
He added that the deployment of foreign troops in Iraq came as requested by the government and the international community, however, the Iraqi government has the right to ask these forces to leave at any time it believes appropriate.
Talabani said that the US administrtaion has so many time asserted they would pull out of the country if asked to by the government.
The president reiterated that the calls for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq at the current stage was an unrealistic request, saying the foreign troops would remain in the country till conditions in the country are normalized.
On the other hand, he strongly criticized some demonstrators in the city of Najaf who celebrated the collapse of the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein by burning the US flag, describing such act as "aimless".
The president also denounced the bombings that took place in teh city of Tel Afar that targeted the Turkmen, saying that the Turkmen people had gone through hardship during the defunct regime. (end) aha.tg KUNA 120052 Apr 07NNNN
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