WASHINGTON is firm in its stand to maintain military forces in Iraq amid the calls of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for the phased and calibrated withdrawal of foreign military forces in that country.

US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said the US military forces in Iraq will “have to get the job done” first before they withdraw troops from the strife-torn country.

Hill met with the Asean foreign ministers on Wednesday with Assistant State Secretary John Negroponte at the Asean-US bilateral meeting during the Asean Post Ministers Meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

“There is a desire on everyone’s part to get the job done and once the job is done, I think the desire is we’re all be able to leave but we’ve have taken a very firm position that we need to finish the job first,” said Hill.

In a joint communiqué adopted on Tuesday, Asean foreign ministers called for a phased and calibrated withdrawal of US-led forces in Iraq, saying that the move is crucial to bringing peace and normalcy in that country.

“We believe that the phased and calibrated withdrawal of foreign troops in Iraq, taking into account the conditions on the ground, will contribute towards bringing normalcy,” stated the joint communiqué.

The Asean leaders and the US officials meanwhile discussed security issues in the region particularly the six-party talks on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

“We remain close and strategic partners. Deputy Secretary Negroponte reiterated to me the strong desire of the US to continue strengthening that partnership,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said.

The two officials also discussed the continued development cooperation of the Philippines and the US specifically the terrorism problem in Mindanao.

“One area where we intend to continue working with the US is in defense reform,” the said Romulo, adding that “Deputy Secretary Negroponte reiterated their commitment to assisting the Philippines in its Defense Reform Program (PDR).”

AN environmental group and a private company on Wednesday questioned the impending appointment of Aksiyon Demokratiko Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay as head of the Committee on Appropriations for his alleged involvement in a questionable and suspicious $6-million air pollution monitoring project.

COTABATO CITY—Government security forces are set to serve on Thursday the arrest warrants against 130 Moro separatist rebelss accused of killing 14 Marines on July 10 in Basilan. Fourteen of the Marines were beheaded.

THE medical education program that was developed for Indians is reportedly being offered for sale.

ILOILO Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to scrap the government’s deal with China’s ZTE Corp. to set up a US$330- million national broadband network (NBN) for being unconstitutional. 

THE US government said initial investigation “found no evidence” that foreign workers, including 51 Filipinos, were being trafficked and forced to work at the construction of the US Embassy in Iraq.

CONTINUING threats of terrorism, increased radicalization in the region and potential use of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists dominated the discussions of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and their dialogue partners at the Asean Post-Ministerial Meeting on Wednesday.

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Lito Atienza on Wednesday vowed to replicate his “Buhayin ang Maynila” program with “Buhayin ang Kalikasan, Buhayin ang Pilipinas” as he accepted what he described as an “overwhelming challenge” of being the chief steward of the country’s environment and natural resources.

WASHINGTON is firm in its stand to maintain military forces in Iraq amid the calls of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for the phased and calibrated withdrawal of foreign military forces in that country.