Future tense for US forces in Iraq

Washington: Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki said on Wednesday obstacles remained in negotiations with the US over a security pact that would determine the future of American forces in Iraq.

Al Maliki's remarks indicated agreement was not imminent, despite the fact that the UN mandate for foreign forces in Iraq expires at the end of the year.

The security deal must be ratified by the parliament by December 31 and the longer the deliberations drag on, the less likely it becomes that the year-end deadline will be met.

The sticking points include immunity issues and oversight over American troops during raids and detentions, Al Maliki said in remarks aired on Iraqi state television.

He also said the Iraqis have "agreed with the American side that the year 2011 will be the year of their withdrawal." The US military would not keep detainees in its custody after the end of the year, Al Maliki added.

Most of his points were not new, but Al Maliki's remarks indicated the Iraqis were still digging in their heels on certain points.

"There are still some obstacles in the negotiations with the Americans," he said. "There are intensive contacts with the American side to resolve the points of argument." In Washington, a senior US official familiar with the negotiations, agreed with Al Maliki's assessment that obstacles remained in reaching agreement.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations, said immunity and oversight were still problems and stressed that there could be no final agreement on a timeline for US withdrawal until those issues are resolved.

US officials in Washington have privately expressed frustration over the Iraqi stand in the negotiations, which were supposed to have ended by July 31. Opposition to a deal by Iraq's fractious 275-member parliament also is strong.

Tentative agreement

US and Iraqi officials have said the two sides agreed tentatively to a schedule that included a broad pullout of combat troops by the end of 2011, with the possibility that a residual US force might stay behind to continue training and advising Iraqi security services.

However, Al Maliki, who appears to be playing to a domestic audience before expected elections, appears to be standing by demands to rid the country of all foreign troops by the end of 2011.

Al Maliki's remarks indicated agreement was not imminent, despite the fact that the UN mandate for foreign forces in Iraq expires at the end of the year. The sticking points include immunity issues and oversight over American troops during raids and detentions, Al Maliki said in remarks aired on Iraqi state television.