Iraq Approves Some Parts of U.S. Accord on Military
The most ``significant'' sections of the Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA, approved by Iraq 's government are those calling for U.S. forces to withdraw from Iraqi cities by the end of June 2009, and from the entire country by the end of 2011, Ali al-Adeeb said in a statement to the government-funded al-Sabah newspaper today.
The timeline was ``widely accepted'' along with an article that provides for the withdrawal date to be extended by mutual consent, al-Adeeb said. Iraqi leaders have been divided over when the 152,000 U.S. troops should leave, with some, such as the national security adviser, Mouafaq Al-Rubaie, having indicated a preference for President-elect Barack Obama's 16-month schedule.
Iraq 's cabinet will meet to discuss the document, and then vote to approve or reject it formally on Nov. 15 or 16, Agence France-Presse reported, citing Finance Minister Baqer Jabr Solagh. If the cabinet backs the accord, it will go to parliament for a final vote. That process could take more than a month.
Ministers haven't ruled out seeking an extension to the United Nations Security Council mandate that gives international approval to the U.S. presence, al-Adeeb, a senior adviser to al- Maliki, said. The UN mandate expires Dec. 31 and if it isn't extended the troops will withdraw to bases and cease operations.
Al-Adeeb said that the article that provides for the withdrawal date to be extended would give the agreement some ``flexibility.'' He didn't say what parts of SOFA are still being debated. Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh wasn't immediately available for comment.
Jurisdiction Debate
Iraq politicians have been studying the U.S. document, which also returns airspace to the Iraqis and lays down which country will have legal jurisdiction over U.S. personnel accused of crimes in Iraq , for almost a month. Shiite Muslims say it doesn't go far enough to protect sovereignty while Kurds argue that Iraq will never be sovereign if the deal doesn't go through.
The Bush administration Nov. 6 said it had accepted some Iraq demands for changes and was waiting for approval on what it called a ``final text.''
Violence ebbed in Iraq this year after a surge in U.S. troops and support from Sunni tribesmen against al-Qaeda. It picked up in the last week, with the UN warning that militants may seeking to spread fear as the country prepares for provincial elections in January.
Rush Hour Blasts
A bomb exploded in a parked car in Baghdad early today, killing four people and wounding 15 others, the Associated Press reported, marking the third consecutive day of morning rush hour blasts in the Iraqi capital. Half an hour later, a road-side bomb in a northern part of the city went off, injuring seven people including one policeman, AP said.
In the northern city of Mosul, gunmen killed two sisters from a Christian family and severely injured their mother, President Jalal Talabani's political party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, said on its Web site.
The election for provincial councils, set for Jan. 31, is central to the process of national reconciliation, according to the UN. The vote will be held in 14 of Iraq 's 18 provinces. Iraqis in Kirkuk and the three autonomous Kurdish regions will go to the polls at a later date.
