A quick withdrawal of American forces would not benefit Iraq or Western interests, Iraq's vice president said Saturday in Tokyo, hours after the Democratic Party-led U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a cutoff deadline for the Iraq war.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi said the U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq should not be withdrawn before the country's own armed forces are functioning autonomously and professionally.
"Many of the Democrats are now pushing the White House for a quick withdrawal of troops from Iraq. This is not going to benefit either Iraqi or Western interests," al-Hashimi said.
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