Word: pacts
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...considering an end to the immunity from prosecution enjoyed by U.S. troops in Iraq. "I'm not going to go into, obviously, the details of our negotiations," said Rice, who spoke to reporters alongside Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari amid intensive negotiations over a long-term security pact. "We are working together as partners to make certain that we cover the concerns of both parties for sovereignty for the Iraqi Government," Rice added. "And so everything that we will do in this agreement will fully respect that sovereignty. We will look at how the arrangements will go forward. We have...
...acknowledge that the so-called deal remains unfinished, and, even when it is inked, will contain loopholes big enough to drive an M-1 tank through. First, while the Bush Administration has agreed to the 2011 deadline, there are other outstanding issues that must be settled before a final pact is concluded. Key among them is whether or not U.S. personnel in Iraq will be subject to any Iraqi jurisdiction if they are suspected of wrongdoing. U.S. officials initially wanted such protection for U.S. contractors as well as soldiers, but the Iraqis have been steadily peeling away at such immunity...
...officials say the current draft agreement strips the immunity given to private security contractors working with the U.S. military and diplomatic staff. Rice said Thursday that the U.S. side considers the pending deal acceptable, effectively leaving final approval to the Iraqi government and the parliament, which must ratify the pact after review by the Prime Minister. But al-Maliki appears to be pressing for more on the question of whether U.S. troops remaining in Iraq would enjoy the same immunity from prosecution that they have in other host countries. Also, it remains uncertain under the new agreement whether U.S. forces...
...Baltic states, who have long lived under the shadow of Russian tanks, are likely to share Saakashvili's distaste for the deal brokered by the "Old Europeans". While France and Germany saw reasons to blame both sides for the Georgia debacle, Poland last week rushed to sign a pact with the U.S. to station missile interceptors on its soil, provoking threats of retaliation from Moscow...
Whether or not a renewed Cold War works in Moscow's favor in the long term remains to be seen. Moscow may not be able to halt expanding NATO, as former members of the Warsaw Pact do not seem less eager to join the Western Alliance. While Putin and his troops have succeeded in lashing out at Georgia, such action against former Warsaw Pact allies like the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland - all now NATO members - would be suicidal. But for the near term, the Putin Doctrine is now in play...