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U.S., Iraq Discuss Troop Timeline

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The Associated Press

Published: November 7, 2008

BAGHDAD - The United States officially responded Thursday to Iraqi proposals for changes in the draft security pact that would keep American troops here for three more years.

U.S. officials described the text as final and said it was up to the Iraqis to push the process further.

The draft agreement has drawn strong opposition inside Iraq, but government officials are hopeful that parliament can approve the pact in time for the deadline. Without an agreement or a new mandate, the United States would have to suspend all military operations in Iraq.

Iraqi lawmakers have said the changes they asked for on Oct. 21 are essential if parliament is to approve the accord by the year-end deadline.

A top Iraqi official said the United States accepted some proposals and rejected others, presumably an Iraqi demand for expanded legal control over U.S. soldiers. The official would not elaborate and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told The Associated Press that the response had been received. He gave no further details and declined to characterize the U.S. reply.
State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the U.S. response came as a letter from President Bush to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Wood said the United States would continue talks with the Iraqis but "the process has concluded on our side."

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the United States had given the Iraqis "a final text" and it was now "in their court to move forward with their process."
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the United States had responded "very positively" to the Iraqis and considered the negotiations closed "on our side."

U.S. and Iraqi negotiators this year hammered out the agreement, which would remove U.S. soldiers from Iraq's cities by June 30, with the last troops leaving the country by 2012. Parliament must approve the accord by year's end when the U.N. mandate expires.

President-elect Barack Obama said during his campaign that the agreement should include a U.S. commitment to begin withdrawing troops and that the draft should be approved by Congress, which the Bush administration does not plan to do.

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