Iraq Revises Draft Troop Deal; U.S. Likely To Reject Changes

[Purveyor]

Source: McClatchy Newspapers

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi cabinet agreed Tuesday to amend a draft agreement governing the status of U.S. forces in Iraq, but introduced new provisions that the U.S. military is unlikely to accept.

Among other things, the amendments would give Iraqi authorities the right to determine whether a U.S. service member was on- or off-duty when he or she committed an alleged crime outside American bases, where such an American would be tried. It also would allow authorities to inspect all U.S. cargo entering the nation.

Iraqi politicians see the changes as a way to preserve Iraqi sovereignty.

The amendments were made to "preserve the basic principles and the sovereignty of Iraq and its supreme interests," said government spokesman Ali al Dabbagh in a statement. The government, Dabbagh said in an interview on an Arabic satellite news station, has no "third option."

U.S. officials have described the original draft agreement, which would replace the United Nations mandate for U.S. military operations in Iraq, as "final," and the Iraqi amendments are likely to push negotiations between Iraq and the U.S. to an impasse.


Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/story/54913.html

[Submariner]

1. The Bush Doctrine turned out to be more of a miserable failure than imaginable

W has been an abysmal failure at everything he touches. His "stick it to the next president" deal trying to lock in troop and base commitments is falling apart, and rightly so. Bush is a weak pathetic little man and a disgrace to the country.

Let's hope he goes on a drunken bender and never surfaces after January 20th 2009.

[Politicalboi]

2. I think even the leaders

Of Iraq know Obama is next in line so they see a light at the end of this disaster that Bush has put upon them. And they should be able to have trials. They should start with Bush/Cheney.

[dkofos]

3. That's good news. It will be much easier to get the fuck out without that agreement.

[bemildred]

4. Just leave. Pull up stakes and leave.

Nobody will get in the way. All this bullshit will go away. We can start to focus on real issues that matter.

[tabasco]

5. But Booshie gave them their soverereninninity!!1!!!!11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWiytuW79vU