Crocker discusses cooperation, investment with Muthanna officials

MUTHANNA / IraqiNews.com: U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker on Saturday said he discussed with officials in al-Muthanna province means of furthering cooperation within the strategic framework agreement signed between the United States and Iraq. “An economic dialogue is ongoing between the two sides to consider ways to bolster U.S. investment and cooperation in the fields of education and culture,” Crocker said in a press conference with Muthanna Governor Ahmed Marzouk al-Sallalo on Saturday (Jan. 10). The agreement covers overall political, economic and security cooperation between the United States and Iraq. It is the second after the one on long-term security, also known as the status-of-forces agreement (SOFA). The two deals had been passed by the Iraqi parliament on November 27, 2008, later endorsed by the Iraqi Presidential Board (PB) in early December 2008. Crocker had arrived in Muthanna on Saturday morning and met the provincial council chief Abdulhussein Mohammed al-Dhalimi and several council members. Muthanna, 280 km south of Baghdad, is bordering Saudi Arabia. Its capital is Samawa. It was the first Iraqi province where security responsibilities were transferred from the Multi-National Force (MNF) to the Iraqis. On July 13, 2006 British, Australian, and Japanese forces handed over security responsibility for Muthanna province to Iraqi forces. Prior to 1976 it was part of the al-Diwaniya province. It also includes the ancient Sumerian ruin of Uruk, which is possibly the source of the name Iraq. AmR (S)/SR 1