US-Iraq troops deal close

The US and Iraq are close to a deal extending the presence of troops beyond 2008.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who flew to Baghdad on an unannounced visit, denied reports that the deal has already been reached but said it was close and she was hoping to iron out any remaining questions with Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari also said the deal was "very close" and would include "time horizons" for US withdrawal.

He repeatedly stressed that the agreement would be temporary.

But neither side would confirm any specific details.

Ms Rice said: "We'll have agreement when we have agreement. So all of those stories in the newspapers about what the agreement says probably ought to be disregarded until we have an agreement."

Anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr denounced the pact and said Washington was trying to twist Baghdad's arm to sign it.

The long-awaited pact will allow US forces to stay in Iraq beyond the end of this year, when a UN Security Council mandate enacted after the US-led invasion in 2003 expires.

Replacing the UN mandate with a formal US-Iraqi pact is seen as a milestone in Iraq's emergence as a sovereign state, giving Baghdad direct say over the presence of foreign troops on its soil for the first time since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

But the deal's terms are politically sensitive in both countries, with Mr al-Maliki determined to show that the 144,000 US troops will not stay longer than needed, and US President George Bush keen to avoid a firm schedule for them to leave.

© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.

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