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...
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,...
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...
US Troops To Shift Out of Iraqi Cities by June
In early 2007 the United States began a military surge into Iraq, adding some 38,000 troops to the force and increasing their focus on major Iraqi cities. Nearly two years later, with the troop level still not back to pre-surge levels they are preparing a reverse in...
Barzani Warns of Civil War as Cabinet Vote on Pact Looms
Iraqi Finance Minister Baqer Jabr Solagh says that the Iraqi Cabinet will vote on the controversial Status of Forces Agreement with the United States sometime this weekend. The current draft appears to be the final one, with only a month left to ratify the SOFA and...
Iraqi-US Soldiers’ Argument Leads to Deadly Shoot-Out
This afternoon, a US military patrol stopped to inspect an Iraqi military checkpoint in a Sunni neighborhood in western Mosul. According to Iraqi personnel and witnesses, an argument broke out during which one of the American soldiers cursed Iraqi soldier Barzan...
Latest Draft of Iraq Deal Changes Some Terms, Not Others
The Associated Press has obtained a copy of the latest draft of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the United States and Iraq, complete with all the changes requested by Iraq and agreed upon by the United States. Though the AP did not submit the entire...
Iraq Requested Over 100 Amendments to Pact
The official US response to Iraq's proposed amendments to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) was received on Thursday, condemned by top Iraqi clerics during Friday sermons, and will be discussed by the Iraqi cabinet on Sunday. In all that time, we've had only a...
Shi’ite Clerics Slam US Response on Iraq Pact
Yesterday, the United States officially responded to the proposed amendments to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) submitted by the Iraqi government. The exact terms of the response were never made public, but officials have said the US accepted some amendments...
Is Obama’s Iraq Timetable Dead Before It Starts?
From its earliest stages the Obama campaign made a timetable for Iraq's pullout a top priority promise. With another 74 days until he even takes office and the current administration's rational for keeping the troops in place faltering fast, what he assured the voters...