Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Tuesday that he saw no need to set a timetable for the pullout of American forces from his country.
"We see no need for a withdrawal timetable. We are working as fast as we can," al-Maliki told reporters while on a four-day trip to Japan. "To demand the departure of the troops is a democratic right and a right we respect. What governs the departure at the end of the day is how confident we are in the handover process."
What counts, he added, according to the AFP, are "achievements on the ground."
Al-Maliki has repeatedly rejected setting a timeline for American forces to withdraw. He has said it remains impossible to say when his forces will be ready to take up full responsibility for security.
On Monday, Japan and Iraq signed off on $862 million in loans from Tokyo for four projects to repair Iraqi oil processing and export facilities, rebuilding a fertilizer plant and power sector reconstruction. On Tuesday, they added on two more loans worth $485 million for water and electricity projects.
