France's Villepin calls for 2008 Iraq troop exit By Scott Malone 2 hours, 30 minutes ago
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin on Friday urged the United States and other foreign nations to withdraw from Iraq in 2008 and said the war had "shattered" America's image abroad. ADVERTISEMENT
The Iraqi conflict, which has killed tens of thousands of Iraqis and some 3,200 U.S. troops in the past four years, is sapping the power of the United States to peacefully influence other players in the troubled Middle East, he said.
"The war with Iraq marked a turning point. It shattered America's image," said Villepin, who opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
"It undermined the image of the West as a whole. It is time for the United States and Europe to regain together the respect and admiration of the other people."
He said that one key to stabilizing Iraq would be convincing Iraqis that they control their future.
"We must be clear on a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops. I believe that it should take place within a year, during the year 2008," said Villepin. "This will allow Iraqis to feel that their future is in their hands and put them back on the path of national sovereignty."
U.S. Congress, now under the control of the Democratic Party, has floated plans to withdraw combat forces from Iraq next year, though none has passed.
At the White House, President Bush has ordered an additional 21,500 soldiers into combat in Iraq.
Villepin also said the United States and European powers need to work together to resolve other major regional crises including Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and instability in Lebanon.