Security, sovereignty at issue in U.S.-Iraqi dispute over building

[Rose Siding]

By Hannah Allam
Knight Ridder Newspapers

BAGHDAD, Iraq - American administrators spent an estimated $20 million turning an opulent sandstone building, shaded by date palms along the western bank of the Tigris River, into a state-of-the-art command center for the rapidly growing Iraqi defense ministry.

Now the Iraqi National Assembly wants it and the U.S. military is struggling to hang on. Built by a king, seized by a dictator and bombed by U.S. warplanes, this Baghdad landmark's future is once again uncertain.
...
The ensuing battle has pitched Iraqis against Americans and sovereignty against security. U.S. officials and the Iraqi defense ministry, which already occupies an entire wing, claim relinquishing the building would torpedo progress in creating a viable Iraqi military. National assembly members counter that, as Iraq's supreme legislative body, they deserve a meeting place guarded solely by Iraqis and located outside the forbidding walls of the U.S.-protected Green Zone.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari faces pressure from his American allies and his Iraqi constituents to intervene. There's a meeting Thursday to discuss the issue.
...
"All the building needs now is furniture, and we can install that within a week," a confident Chalabi told the assembly.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/11621929.htm

[grytpype]

1. Another Knight Ridder scoop.

KR is the only news source worth reading for Iraq news.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. "relinquishing the building" - what a silly idea the Iraqis have . .

.
.
.

that they should have title and use of their own buildings in their own country!

wait until the oil becomes an frontal issue guys . .

the US won't wanna "reliquish" THAT either!!

(doh)

[LynnTheDem]

3. Dear Iraqis;

Chalabi is not your friend.

[arkie dem]

4. This is some funny shit

Chalibi was a wanted man last summer, now he's a cabinet member...???

WAKE UP PEOPLE....!!!!

[bpilgrim]

5. pressure from his American allies - OVERLORDS is more like it

sovereignty for Iraq is something they wont see again till we are BANKRUPT or we use up all THEIR oil, whichever comes first.

peace