http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=116739Gates to meet Maliki today
July 28, 2009 - 09:33:32
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other government officials on Tuesday, an official spokesman for the Iraqi defense ministry said.
“Gates will meet with his Iraqi counterpart Abdulqader al-Ubeidi and later with Premier Maliki and other government officials,” Maj. General Mohammed al-Askari told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
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Gates and Maliki will hold a joint press conference on Tuesday afternoon at the defense ministry headquarters in Baghdad,” he added.Earlier in the day, an informed security source in Thi-Qar province said Gates arrived at the U.S. military base in western al-Nasseriya city.
“Gates arrived at the U.S. military base of Taleel, formerly Imam Ali base, (15 km) western Nasseriya, to meet with security commanders in the provinces of Thi-Qar, Missan and al-Muthanna,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq.
His visit comes less than one month after U.S. withdrawal from the Iraqi cities and districts on June 30 in accordance with the status-of-forces agreement (SOFA), signed by Iraq and the United States in late 2008.
Gates’ last visit to Iraq was on September 15, 2008.
Maliki had met on Thursday (July 24) with Gates at the Pentagon headquarters, where he stressed the need to upgrade Iraqi air forces’ capabilities and armament.