Accessibility links

Breaking News

Iraq Offers U.S. Advisers 'Acceptable' Legal Protections


White House spokesman Josh Earnest
A White House spokesman says the Iraqi government has offered "acceptable assurances" of legal protections for 300 U.S. military advisers the United States plans to send to Iraq to assist local forces trying to halt surging Sunni militants in the country.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government informed the United States of these assurances via diplomatic note, spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in a June 23 briefing, calling the promised protections "adequate" for the planned "short-term" advisory mission.

The Obama administration says its complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011 was due to the Iraqi government's refusal to grant U.S. military personnel there immunity from prosecution.

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), an Al-Qaeda splinter group, has made significant advances against Iraqi government forces in recent weeks.
  • 16x9 Image

    RFE/RL

    RFE/RL journalists report the news in 27 languages in 23 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. We provide what many people cannot get locally: uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate.

XS
SM
MD
LG