Iraq's parliament voted with an over two-thirds majority in favor of amending the provincial election law passed last month to give a single guaranteed seat to each key minority group in the provinces of Basra, Nineveh, and Baghdad. A guaranteed representation was...
Iraqi Military ‘Ready’ to Replace US
With an apparent eye on the ever growing possibility that the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the United States and Iraq will not be approved of by the end of the year, Iraq's Ministry of Defense reportedly says that they are ready to replace the...
Like US, Iraqis Divided on McCain, Obama
With 150,000-plus US soldiers still in their country over five years after the invasion, the Iraqi public is watching the upcoming US presidential election with great interest. But much like the American public, they appear divided on whether Republican Party nominee...
Iraq, Syria Aim to Ease Tensions Over US Raid
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has released a statement saying that Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has been in talks with his Syrian counterpart over the past week in an attempt to defuse the growing tensions between the two countries since last Sunday's US raid. The...
Iraq Expects US Answer on Amendments After Election
An aide to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says that the Iraqi government expects a US reply on a myriad of submitted amendments to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) sometime after Tuesday's election. The most recent draft of the SOFA was initially reported...
Barzani Raises Prospect of Hosting US Troops in Kurdistan if Iraq Deal Fails
Kurdish Regional Government President Massoud Barzani, visiting Washington DC as part of a delegation aiming to rescue the faltering Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the United States and Iraq, has dropped something of a bombshell as the Washington Times...
White House Dismisses Doubts as Iraq Deal Talks Falter
Massoud Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, said yesterday that he believes it is "doubtful" that the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the United States and Iraq will be approved by Iraq's cabinet and parliament by the end of...
US Issues Warning as Iraq Demands Troops Pact Changes
The Bush Administration has received and is reviewing the latest proposed amendments to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) for Iraq. Though the exact terms of the amendments have no yet been released, one of the revisions is an explicit ban on US forces using Iraqi...
Syria Slams Iraqi Govt Spokesman Over Strike Comments
As the fallout continues from Sunday's US military strike into Syria, Syria's cabinet today denounced Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh for comments made in the wake of the attack which they said were an "unacceptable and irresponsible justification for this...
US Threatens to Halt Services if Iraq Rejects Troop Deal
As the United States struggles to get Iraqi officials to change their position on the all-but-dead Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) top US commander General Ray Odierno has issued a three-page letter to high ranking Iraqi officials. The letter includes a list of...