Word: pacts
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...Iraqi officials continued to haggle over a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. soldiers, even as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared that any pact must grant Iraq full sovereignty and provide for the removal of American combat troops by the end of 2011. Despite Maliki's tougher negotiating stance--designed, observers say, to shore up support for the deal at home--U.S. officials insisted that any timetable would be contingent on the nation's security status. Both sides still expect to reach an agreement...
...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...