Iranian supreme leader says U.S. planning long-term stay in Iraq

"The occupiers in Iraq are planning to stay long in that country "which is a big danger and the Iraqi officials should be well aware of it," Khamenei was quoted by official news agency IRNA as telling visiting Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Tehran.Â

 

Khamenei added Iraqi leaders should be aware of the danger.

 

"The presence of American and British military men and their experts and security forces in Iraq is harmful to that country and the occupying armies should go out of Iraq as soon as possible, since any delay in this matter, even for one day, would do more harm to the Iraqi nation," he also said.

 

"Iraq’s progress is in confronting the foreigners’ wishes, since they are not happy with proximity of Iran and Iraq," he added.

 

Shiite majority Iran has always been vocal in demanding the withdrawal of foreign troops from its neighbor, where Shiites are also the biggest community.
Obama on Friday ordered an end within 18 months to U.S. military operations in Iraq.

 

However he also said up to U.S. 50,000 troops, compared with the current 142,000-strong force, will remain until the end of 2011, nearly nine years after his predecessor George W. Bush ordered an invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.