Wage Peace Campaign
AFSC Translates U.S. Iraq Military Agreement
The Status of Forces Agreement was translated by Raed Jarrar, AFSC Iraq consultant on November 17, 2008. It is the first publicly available English translation of the document that would set the terms for how long U.S. forces should stay in Iraq.
The agreement appeared in the Iraqi
newspaper Al-Sabaah. To view it in
Arabic, see the paper’s web
site
Read
the agreement in English >
Download
the agreement as a PDF >
We cannot risk another air strike
By Aura Kanegis, AFSC Director of Public PolicyWithin a few days of the U.S. launching air strikes in Syria, we can already see how violent “solutions” risk the security of everyone in the Middle East. As a nation, we need to learn the central lesson of the Iraq war: military force is costly, destabilizing, and no substitute for creative diplomacy.
In fact, the latest attack on Syria derailed many recent diplomatic gains. Those gains showed positive signs for a more secure Middle East.
Syria recently reopened its embassies in Iraq and Lebanon, has been strengthening its diplomatic relations with European countries, and was in the process of negotiating a peace treaty with Israel. Since the attack, Syria has reversed course. They have suspended diplomatic relations with Iraq and joint border security committees between Iraq and Syria as a result of the U.S. attacks.
In addition, the Syrian government has closed the American school and cultural center in Damascus. They have also frozen high-level diplomatic engagement with the Bush administration.
This attack sets a dangerous and unacceptable precedent for unilateral U.S. actions that breach the sovereignty of other countries. Both Iraq and Iran, as well as many in the Middle East, are deeply concerned about the destabilizing consequences of the U.S. acting with impunity to launch pre-emptive strikes in the region that undermine diplomacy and risk triggering massive military conflict in the region.
The U.S. military presence in Iraq is, itself, a destabilizing force. As long as the U.S. has the potential to strike at countries from Iraq, neither Iraq nor its neighbors will feel secure. Any security agreement between the U.S. and Iraq that keeps U.S. forces and bases in Iraq is costly to security in the Middle East and costly to U.S. taxpayers.
There’s a better path forward, one that leads to lasting peace and security.
The U.S. and Syria should de-escalate the situation through diplomatic negotiations. Our governments must build bridges and work together to solve huge regional problems – including handling the Iraqi refugee crisis. Right now more than 5 million Iraqis have been displaced from their homes, many of them in Syria and Jordan. My organization, the American Friends Service Committee, has been working with Iraqi refugees, helping refugee families get medical care, learn job skills, and heal from the trauma of war while living far from home. We’ve seen first-hand the trauma caused by war and occupation. Only joint international efforts will stop this humanitarian catastrophe.
Once we engage in diplomacy and dialogue, we make solving real problems for people in the region possible. We’ve seen where the path of violence has led: destabilization and risky steps toward regional war.
I hope and pray that the Bush Administration wants to end its term in office on a positive note, and will seize this opportunity for creative diplomacy. We cannot risk more violence and mistrust in the Middle East.
Latest Status of
Forces Agreement --
AFSC English
Translation
Read the first public English translation of the latest draft agreement between the U.S and Iraqi administrations, an agreement designed to permit U.S. troops to remain in Iraq once the United Nations mandate ends this year and may begin the process of establishing permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq.
A major
Arabic-language newspaper, Al-Sabah
Al-Jadeed, published the Arabic
version on Monday, October 20.
"This
agreement could further entrench the U.S.
military in Iraq," says Raed Jarrar, the AFSC
Iraq consultant who translated the agreement,
based on a leaked Arabic version. "It
cannot be negotiated behind closed doors.
The public, Congress, and the Iraqi Parliament
should be informed and weigh in before we set a
direction for the future."
The AFSC has
also sponsored visits to the U.S. Capitol by
Iraqi Parliamentarians so the two legislative
bodies could exchange views about the future of
their countries and U.S. forces in Iraq.
Many Parliamentarians and Members of Congress
have stated their opposition to an agreement
that keeps U.S. forces in Iraq.
At the
end of 2008, the current annual U.N. mandate
allowing the United States military presence in
Iraq expires. Instead of seeking another, the
administration has been negotiating a long-term
bilateral 'status of forces' agreement with the
Iraqi executive branch. The agreement will
provide the legal basis for a U.S. troop
presence in Iraq. The document seeks to
answer critical questions of sovereignty and
authority, concepts best respected when the
international community is able to provide
oversight. This is the latest version that has
been made public.
Members of the U.S.
and Iraq executive branches have worked to
define what will happen with the U.S. troops,
but neither government have commented on the
agreement's details to the
public.
In addition to
legislators' opposition, a large part of the
Iraqi public have voiced opposition to signing
this agreement. Three days ago, hundreds of
thousands of Iraqis demonstrated in the streets
of Baghdad, asking for a complete withdrawal of
U.S. troops and opposing any long term
agreements with the United States.
In September, AFSC posted the translation of the draft agreement, in addition to the Arabic-language original.
Dialogue and Exchange with Iraqi Leaders
AFSC sponsored two elected
members of the Iraqi parliament to travel to
New York and Washington, D.C., to create a
dialogue with U.S. political leaders about how
to find a path to peace and stability in Iraq.
This is the the first visit of Iraqi
parliamentarians with their counterparts in the
U.S. Congress since the beginning of the war in
Iraq. AFSC seeks to foster an open and honest
conversation of the political realities in Iraq
between Iraqi and U.S. political leaders in
Congress.
FROM THE REGION
Tired of Promises: Iraqi Refugees in Syria
"On the outskirts of
Damascus, Syria, a warehouse initially intended
for emergency supplies has been converted into
a center dedicated to registering Iraqi
refugees on a massive scale..."
What you can do:
- Volunteer
to help refugees
- Support
our work in the region
- Read
AFSC's assessment
- Visit
our Blog
RESOURCE
Funding Alternatives
Want to tell your Congressperson what they can do instead of paying for war? Healing the Wounds of War outlines how the U.S. can fund peacebuilding initiatives.