Iraq Denies Legal Immunity to U.S. Troops After 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/05/world/middleeast/iraqis-say-no-to-immunity-for-remaining-american-troops.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=iraqis%20say%20no%20to%20immunity%20for%20u.s.%20troops&st=cse

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: barry levine 
Date: Wed, Oct 5, 2011 at 8:57 AM
Subject: re: Iraq Denies Legal Immunity to U.S. Troops After 2011
To: letters@nytimes.com


To the Editor:

    The U.S. department of State advanced claims of diplomatic immunity for Raymond Davis in bad faith; as a CIA hitman, he had no legitimate expectation of immunity from Pakistani law. Now it seems the department had intended the same deception in Iraq, covering 16,000 "embassy staff".  The surprising display of spine from Pakistan's Foreign Office forced a reevaluation of this policy of perfidy. If we want to claim credit for setting up a free and sovereign Iraq, we must allow Iraq sovereignty. That means American there will have to abide by the law, however inconvenient.

Barry Haskell Levine