Elected Iraqis Demand US Withdrawal

Eighty two Iraqi lawmakers from across the political spectrum have pressed for the withdrawal of the US-led occupation troops from their country.

The Shiite, Kurdish, Sunni Arab, Christian and communist legislators made the call in a letter sent by Falah Hassan Shanshal of the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), the largest bloc in parliament, to speaker Hajem Al-Hassani, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“We have asked in several sessions for occupation troops to withdraw. Our request was ignored,” read the latter, made public on Sunday, June 19.

There are currently about 160,000 foreign troops in Iraq, including 138,000 American forces and 15,000 mercenaries from private military firms, according to the estimation of Peter Singer, author of Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry.

“It is dangerous that the Iraqi government has asked the UN Security Council to prolong the stay of occupation forces without consulting representatives of the people who have the mandate for such a decision. Therefore we must reject the occupation's legitimacy and renew our demand for these forces to withdraw,” it added."