Hill says Iraq "is going to be a big player"

[carlablum]

Hill says Iraq "is going to be a big player"

WASHINGTON, Aug 18 (KUNA) -- Former US Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill predicted on Wednesday that Iraq is going to be "a big player" in the Middle East and wondered what kind of relationship the United States will have with Iraq after withdrawing its troops from the country.

"The real question is, how is the United States going to interact with this country? Can we say that we will have the kind of long-term special relationship that we have been talking about for many years?," said Hill in remarks at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

"You can look at the situation and take some sense of optimism from the fact that Iraq has worked very hard to tamp down regional problems...maybe Iraq does need to do more, but it does not mean Iraq is setting itself up in any kind of historical, adversarial role with its neighbors. In fact, it is looking for ways it can work better with those neighbors," he added.

Hill, who just concluded his 16month tenure in Baghdad, predicted that Iraq "is going to be a big player. Iraq, I think, will be economically successful. It is a matter of time. You can see the economy growing day by day." "The U.S. is looking forward to this relationship with Iraq. It will be based on this economic relationship - there are firms ... in infrastructure and telecommunications, not necessarily in oil," he added.

His successor, James Jeffrey, just presented earlier today his diplomatic credentials to Iraqi President Jalal Taliban and Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zibari during ceremonies in Baghdad.

Hill noted that Iraq "is still very much moving forward" saying that there is "a resiliency in any society that I think is difficult to predict.

But I think in Iraq's society there's a particular resiliency that people need to understand is very much there." US troops in Iraq were gradually reduced from 140,000 and will go down to 50,000 by the end of August. Hill affirmed that US troops "have already switched their mission to moving from combat operations to advise-and-assist brigades, that is assisting the Iraqi military."

"I would say the security situation, which is very difficult and one that is not going to be at a completely satisfactory level, will continue to improve. The Iraqi forces are capable of handling the security problems," noted the US official.

"They will have problems. There will be mistakes. We have made mistakes, too, in how we have handled it. They will learn from their mistakes as we learn from our mistakes. And I think you will see a continued improvement in the security situation," he concluded.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/HomePage.aspx?Language=en

[cjmac]

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[woookiee]

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