BAGHDAD -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki proposed today that any security agreement reached with the United States should include provisions for the departure of American troops.
It was the first time that Maliki has raised the possibility of setting provisions for the withdrawal of U.S. forces, which make up the bulk of foreign troops in Iraq.
The suggestion, made during an official visit to the United Arab Emirates, appeared aimed at deflecting fears that the deal needed for U.S. forces to remain beyond the end of the year would impinge on Iraqi sovereignty and clear the way for a permanent American presence.
"Negotiations are ongoing regarding the agreement and the current orientation is to reach a memorandum of understanding either to withdraw the forces, or to set a timetable for their withdrawal," Maliki's office quoted him as saying during talks with Arab ambassadors in the Emirates.
President Bush and Maliki signed a nonbinding declaration of principles last year in which they set July 31 as the target date to hammer out a Status of Forces Agreement, which would provide a legal basis for the presence of U.S. troops after the United Nations mandate expires Dec. 31.
Negotiators from both sides have said that progress was being made but that outstanding differences might make it impossible to complete a comprehensive arrangement in time to put it into effect by the end of the year. A number of possible bridging measures have been explored, including a more limited memorandum of understanding, as suggested by Maliki today.
Points of contention include the legal status of foreign personnel in Iraq. U.S. officials have dropped a demand for immunity from prosecution for private contractors working for the U.S. government, but have said that they will not allow U.S. service members to be tried in Iraqi courts.
It is a touchy subject for Maliki, who was angered by two recent shootings in which Iraqi civilians, one of them his cousin, were killed. The U.S. military maintains that the shootings were justified.
Many Iraqis, including members of Maliki's own government, view a deal as a surrender of sovereignty to an occupying force. Setting a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops could ease those fears.
The agreement is also a contentious issue in Washington, where Democrats have accused Bush of trying to commit the U.S. to a long-term presence in Iraq before he leaves office in January. White House officials have said the deal will not set force levels or establish permanent bases in Iraq.
alexandra.zavis@latimes.com
