US surprised at reports Romania wants to leave Iraq 27 minutes ago The United States said it was surprised by reports that Romania planned to withdraw its troops from Iraq, and said it would ask for clarification.
State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said Washington had not been informed of any plans to pull out the 890-strong Romanian force, which he said had performed ably and courageously. Earlier, Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu had said he would ask Romania's Supreme Defence Council (CSAT) to withdraw the soldiers because of the human and financial cost of staying in Iraq. Adding to the confusion, amid signs of political dischord in Romania, the pro-US President Traian Basescu said later there must be a proper national debate before withdrawing the troops. "These latest reports from Romania are, frankly, a surprise," Ereli told reporters. "We hadn't been informed about them. They're certainly not consistent with what we've heard from senior Romanian leadership, and I think we'll be looking for clarification." Basescu said the manner in which Tariceanu and Defence Minister Teodor Atanasiu had presented their withdrawal plan, without consulting other Romanian decision-makers, hurt Romania's credibility. The surprise announcement was the first time that Bucharest, an early US ally in the "war on terror", had indicated it wanted to pull out. Tariceanu invoked similar decisions taken recently by other countries -- including Italy -- in justifying the move. Basescu has insisted several times in recent months that Romanian troops will remain in Iraq "as long as necessary" and that any eventual pull-out will only be decided in coordination with other members of the US-led coalition in the oil-rich country. Relations between the president and the prime minister have been very strained in recent months, especially after Basescu said that he "regretted" that Tariceanu had been named head of government. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060629/pl_afp/usiraqromaniatroops_060629 200720&printer=1;_ylt=AjLqBFd.HURLq0VTOSGW_xmtOrgF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bH E0BHNlYwN0bWE- ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Check out the new improvements in Yahoo! Groups email. http://us.click.yahoo.com/6pRQfA/fOaOAA/yQLSAA/RR.olB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *** sustineti [romania_eu_list] prin 2% din impozitul pe 2005 - detalii la http://www.doilasuta.ro *** Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romania_eu_list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
