13°
Overcast | Weather provided by KSTP.com
World

Iraq govt cancels meeting to discuss US-Iraqi pact


BY Associated Press
PUBLISHED: 10/26/2008

BAGHDAD (AP) _ The Iraqi Cabinet canceled a meeting to discuss the U.S.-Iraqi security pact Sunday, saying proposals for amendments to an earlier draft were still being submitted, a government adviser said.

It was the latest setback to U.S. hopes to reach a quick agreement on a deal that would extend the presence of American forces beyond the end of this year.

Sadiq al-Rikabi said Sunday's extraordinary meeting was canceled because "proposals are still arriving." The Cabinet routinely meets on Tuesdays.

The government planned to send new proposals to the Americans for changes in the draft, which has been negotiated since early this year.

But the draft has faced opposition from a number of critics who consider the deal an infringement on national sovereignty, especially a provision that would continue to give the U.S. the right to prosecute American soldiers and contractors for most offenses.

The pact would replace the U.N. mandate providing a legal basis for foreign forces in Iraq that expires Dec. 31.

Iraq's Cabinet decided last week to ask for changes after key Shiite lawmakers warned the deal stands little chance of approval in its current form.

The decision also raised doubts that the agreement can be ratified before a new American president is elected Nov. 4.

Al-Maliki has said he won't submit the agreement to parliament unless the Cabinet overwhelmingly approves it.

If the Iraqi parliament fails to approve the draft before the U.N. mandate expires on Dec. 31, there would be no legal basis for the U.S.-led military mission.

That could force Iraq and the U.S. to ask the Security Council to extend the mandate.

The proposed security pact called for all U.S. combat forces to be removed from Iraqi cities by June 2009 and for all forces to leave the country by the end of 2011, unless both sides agree to an extension.

Also Sunday, a lawmaker said Iraq's long-stalled oil and gas law has finally been sent by the Cabinet to parliament for discussion.

The move sets the stage for a new public debate over how to manage the country's vast oil wealth, which Iraq needs to finance the reconstruction of the country, even as world oil prices have been falling.

Abdul-Hadi al-Hassani, the deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on oil, gas and natural resources, said the panel is reviewing the bill to prepare it for the full legislature.

"We started working on it today," al-Hassani told The Associated Press in a phone interview Sunday. He did not say when it will be put to the floor.

Iraq's Cabinet endorsed the bill in February 2007 but disputes later emerged between the Kurds and central government, mainly over who has the final say in managing oil and gas fields.

Since then, the measure has gone through four versions.

Meanwhile, rare thunderstorms hit swaths of the country over the weekend.

The rain was welcomed by many, but it also flooded many streets and turned sidewalks into mush — drawing new complaints about the government's failure to provide basic services despite recent security gains.

"It is shameful that the capital should be in this miserable situation because of rain in spite of all that we heard about municipality projects to be done for Baghdad's roads and sewage systems," said Hamid al-Azami, a 45-year-old store owner in the neighborhood of Azamiyah.

"The municipality services are taking care of minor things like cleaning gardens at squares in Baghdad and planting roses and neglecting the most important thing of rebuilding the capital's damaged infrastructure, he said.

Other Iraqis, particularly farmers, welcomed the rain after months of drought.

"It was so dry last year that I wasn't able to harvest anything, but thanks to God the rain this year will bring blessings with it," said Karim Eysa, a 60-year-old farmer in Bashiqa, near the northern city of Mosul. "I have a family to feed and sheep also will have enough grass to feed on."

Comments

The Minnesota Daily wants to host a forum for discussion regarding issues and stories regarding the University of Minnesota and surrounding communities. However, the online comments should not be used to threaten or defame. This is a place for people to be heard, and want to contribute to discussion. Those who persist to use expletives, inappropriate, racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post.

Blog Mag nella tua scuola!

Best wholesale service, quick china wholesale delivery, nice wholesale products, is there anything more you can expect on this platform? This net will build up a link between you and you supplier so that to be sure you would have a satisfied wholesale apparelwholesale apparel trading. The account managers will take care of all your wholesale products questions, inquires and help you manage your account. We provid popular wholesale products such as wholesale watch and wholesale necklaces . Different from other platforms, we also provide consumer electronics products, for example car electronics and digital camera. Meanwhile, we offer the best bluetooth phones and GPS Cellphone . Well begun is the half done. Please choose our platform to shorten your way to the successwholesale shoes,wholesale handbags
Mobile Phone Speakerscelluar phone speakersWe wholesaleportable speakers,mini speakers wholesale,wholesale ipod speakers,Usb Speakers,Ipod Speakesrs,Ipod Portable Speakers,Mp3 Speaker ,Brick ipod speakerslego brick ipod speaker,
we a supplier of those products.if you have any interest.contact ours Chinese antique furniture supplier and we can supplycar wash systems. car wash systems .car wash equipment. car wash equipment. automatic car wash .automatic car wash .car washing machine. car washing machine. car wash. car wash
XYLITOL.SODIUM SULPHATE.CAUSTIC SODA FLAKES.MANGANESE SULFATE.SODIUM FORMATE.MAGNESIUM SULFATE.OXALIC ACIDFORMIC ACID.XYLITOL.SODIUM SULPHATE.CAUSTIC SODA FLAKES.MANGANESE SULFATE.SODIUM FORMATE.MAGNESIUM SULFATE.OXALIC ACID,FORMIC ACID

re

江原道化粧品お試しセット トリニティーラインお試しセット ブロードイオンの通販 ウィ アピシア 三七石鹸 ナノアクア ナチュラルソープ オフィス家具 通販 リバイタラッシュまつげ美容液 ベアミネラル:baremineral ビーグレン(ビバリーグレン):b-glen アンプルールお試しセット アスタリフトお試しセット レーサーダイエット 皇潤 皇潤 茶のしずくお試しセット アムラエッセンス レディースプエラリア99% ムチャチャ グラグラ 二重まぶたにする(なる)方法 セルブライト セルブライト リバイタラッシュ フェブリナ(フェヴリナ)ジェルパック まつげエクステ「アイラッシュ」通販 アイホーン 茶のしずく石鹸 茶のしずく石鹸 吉野家 牛丼通販 即日発行 クレジットカード クレジットカード 即日発行 ベトナム株の口座開設 ベトナム株の口座開設 酸素カプセルガイド カルジェルナビ スパリゾート 加圧トレーニングでいこう オーベルジュ=auberge= ダイエット食品 通販 外反母趾の予防と矯正ミニガイド H&M(へネス&モーリッツ)ミニガイド O脚の改善と矯正ミニガイド 電動自転車ミニガイド フーレセラピーミニガイド シロアリ対策ミニガイド 鈴虫寺 カルニチンクイーン カルニチンクイーン にんにく注射 質屋 大阪 質屋 東京 質屋 名古屋 借金相談 別れ方 湯たんぽ トモセラピー 歯並び 矯正 アートメイク 日焼けサロン 超音波エクステ TOIEC 勉強法 借金 無料相談 ベランダ ハト対策 黒鯛の釣り方 少年野球 ピッチング指導法 スノボー(スノーボード)の滑り方 薄毛対策・抜け毛対策 やずやの香酢 フーディア アルジルリン 化粧品お試しセット EGF化粧品パソアパソ アスタキュア 皇潤

ヨガグッズ

ゴールドカード比較

Post new comment

  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <b> <i> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

More information about formatting options

CAPTCHA
Are you human?
Image CAPTCHA
Copy the characters (respecting upper/lower case) from the image.