Iraqi President Wants U.S. To Remain In Iraq, Calls For Closer Ties With E.U.

MADRID, Aug 3 (AFP) - Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar favours US troops remaining in Iraq until the country is stable and able to fend for itself, according to an interview published Tuesday in the Spanish daily El Pais.
"We don't want them to leave," Yawar is quoted as saying. "We want the multinational force to stay in Iraq until our defense forces are up and ready."
He added that while he appreciated the US intervention in his country and wanted to established a long-lasting relationship with Washington "we are not looking to walk on just one foot".
"Iraq must have a balanced foreign policy," he said, adding that his priority was to establish closer ties with the European Union and that he planned to visit several EU countries in the coming months.
Yawar said he would visit Turkey later this month, a country that is not part of the bloc, before heading to France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain.
"The European Union has increasing power and is a key player in the future of the world," he said.
He ruled out a suggestion by Saudi Arabia for Muslim troops to replace US soldiers deployed in Iraq saying he did not believe such a scenario would be appropriate at this time.