Military analysts quoted by HotNews.ro say the Liberal Party decision to call for a massive Romanian troops withdrawal from Iraq comes unexpectedly and would be rather risky for the country. They say the Liberal proposal should have been preceded by a debate with Romania’s military analysts and not take into account only the political interests of the moment.

Iulian Chifu, head of the Crisis Prevention Center, told HotNews.ro that the Liberal push was a “rushy reaction as debates on a future withdrawal of Romanian troops from Iraq should have been preceded by a public debate”.

And he said consultations with the US, the leader of the international operations in Iraq, was also necessary to make sure the partnership with the US was not threatened.

Chifu’s way of thought is shared by military analyst Radu Tudor, who said “the possible decision to withdraw Romania from Iraq must be made after highest-level consultations with the partners in the multinational coalition in Iraq, mainly with the US and the government in Baghdad”.

And Tudor warned that Tariceanu’s position is at loggerheads with President Basescu’s. The Romanian head of state said recently that Romania would stay in Iraq for as long as the Iraqi government requests”.

The analyst said the move was aimed at improving the image of the Liberal Party, extending existing disputes with the Presidency to the sensitive area of national security. And he said the final decision on a possible withdrawal stays with the Romanian Parliament, not the Supreme Defense Council which Defense minister Teodor Atanasiu will address in this regard.