Iraq Pact May Violate Constitution, Scholars Warn

Constitutional law scholars yesterday warned a congressional subcommittee that the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the United States and Iraq potentially runs afoul of the constitutions of both nations, and has urged the Bush Administration to rather seek an...

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Pentagon Officials Privately Condemn Iraq Pact

While the United States seems determined as a matter of policy to see to its Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Iraq passed by the Iraqi Parliament, even to the point of making direct threats of severe consequences if they refuse, privately some high ranking...

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Iraq Pact Spells End to Contractors’ Immunity

The US Departments of State and Defense have informed companies that provide the over 160,000 contractors employed in Iraq that the new Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), once it goes into effect, will strip them of the broad legal immunity for crimes that they now...

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Iraqi Parliament Debate on Pact Erupts in Chaos

The Iraqi Parliament's debate on the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) was expected to be contentious, but it would have been difficult to envision just how contentious things ended up today. Influential Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's parliamentary bloc had firmly...

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US Official: GIs to Leave if Iraq Won’t Sign Pact

The Iraqi parliament continues to debate the contentious Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States which would govern the operation of US forces in Iraq when the current UN mandate expires at the end of the year. Both the Iraqi and US governments had...

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Iranian Official Praises Pact as Parliament Debates

The Iraqi parliament began debating today on whether or not to approve the controversial Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States. The SOFA, which was approved yesterday by the Iraqi cabinet, outlines the terms of the continued US military presence in...

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Iraqi Cabinet Okays US Pact

The Iraqi cabinet has approved the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States, in a vote that was surprisingly one-sided. 27 of 28 cabinet members voted in favor of the agreement, and the deal will now be sent to parliament for consideration. The vote...

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Key Shi’ite Clerics Resist Security Pact Draft

While Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's support for the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States is likely to secure support from key Shi'ite political leaders for the latest draft, they face continued dissent from key Shi'ite religious leaders,...

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Report: Maliki Will Endorse US Security Pact

Updated 11/15 11:30 AM EST With Iraq's cabinet preparing to discuss the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States, and a vote expected sometime this weekend, the latest and seemingly final draft of the controversial deal is expected to receive a shot in...

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