U.S. May Change Plans for Iraq Handover

[Barrett808]

U.S. May Change Plans for Iraq Handover
By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - It's back to the drawing board for the Bush administration as it looks for an acceptable way to turn over power to Iraqis by the end of June.

A powerful Shiite leader's objections to parts of the current plan are prompting administration officials to confer both inside the U.S. government and with Iraqi leaders.

The plan may have to altered, administration officials said Tuesday, on condition of anonymity, after Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani demanded that any agreement to let U.S. forces remain in postwar Iraq (news - web sites) must be approved by directly elected representatives.

But the decision to turn over control to Iraqis by June 30 remains a constant goal, the officials said.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040113/ap_on_re_mi_ea/us_iraq&cid=540&ncid=1480

[54anickel]

1. Again? n/t

[Sagan]

2. ooh! Now this is getting interesting.

We all know that the PNAC neocon whackos are taking for granted that we will be able to base our Imperial legions in Iraq after a handover. But here come these pesky Iraqis who don't really want us there.

The LAST thing the neocons want is some kind of democratic decision by the Iraqis on whether or not U.S. troops should be allowed to say. We didn't go take their oil just for them to start getting all democratic and free on us, the ungrateful wretches.