Leaving Iraq To The Wolves

Tariq Aziz, Saddam Hussein's former deputy, has accused the US president of "leaving Iraq to the wolves" as a resulkt of the decision to withdraw combat troops during a period of increasing violence.

Aziz told The Guardian that the United States should stay in Iraq, in order to correct the mistakes it had made since the 2003 invasion.

"We are all victims of America and Britain.

They killed our country in many ways. When you make a mistake you need to correct a mistake, not leave Iraq to its death."

He went on to say:

"For 30 years Saddam built Iraq and now it is destroyed. There are more sick than before, more hungry.

The people don't have services. People are being killed every day in the tens, if not hundreds.

I was encouraged when [US President Barack Obama] was elected president, because I thought he was going to correct some of the mistakes of Bush. But Obama is a hypocrite. He is leaving Iraq to the wolves."

Aziz was jailed for 15 years in 2009 for murder, and given a seven-year term in August 2009 for his role in expelling Kurds from Iraq's north.

Mission Not Accomplished

President Barack Obama has confirmed that he will honour his pledge to end all combat operations in Iraq by 31 August.

However, he has stated that 50,000 of 65,000 US troops currently in Iraq will remain until the end of 2011, as "advisers" and protect US interests.

Wisely, given that Iraq is still in turmoil, President Obama did not claim that this was "Mission Accomplished!".

However, whilst troops may be being pulled out of Iraq, more troops (some 30,000 extra) are being sent to Afghanistan.