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AFPWASHINGTON (AFP) - A senior State Department official Thursday ruled out fresh demands from top Democrats for any deal with Iraq on future US troop operations to be submitted to Congress for approval.
David Satterfield, US coordinator for Iraq, testified to a Senate committee after top Democrats, including White House hopeful Hillary Clinton, expressed fears the proposed deal would tie the hands of the next president.
Iraq and the United States are set to negotiate a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to legitimize US operations in Iraq beyond the end of the year, when the United Nations resolution governing their presence expires.
"In keeping with past practice, our intent is to conclude the SOFA as an executive agreement, rather than a treaty subject to Senate approval," Satterfield said in prepared testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations panel.
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080410/pl_afp/usiraqpoliticsmilitary_080410142406;_
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http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/Draft U.S. Iraq SOFA open-endedPublished: April 9, 2008 at 6:36 PM
WASHINGTON, April 9 (UPI) -- A draft version of the status of forces agreement between the United States and Iraq suggests the U.S. troop commitment there is open-ended.
A draft copy of the agreement obtained by The Guardian dated March 7 and marked "secret" authorizes U.S. military forces to "conduct military operations in Iraq and to detain individuals when necessary for imperative reasons of security." The document does not mention a time frame or expiration of the agreement.
Some critics say the draft agreement does little to impose limits on troop numbers, weapons used or U.S. legal authority over Iraqi citizens, but U.S. officials are quick to point out the agreement is no different than similar agreements with the 80 other countries where U.S. forces are based.
U.S. Democratic leaders said the document goes way beyond other status of forces agreements and reads more like a treaty, which would require congressional approval. Speaking before lawmakers Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said the agreement will not go before Congress, however.
more:
http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Emerging_Threats/Briefing/2008/04/09/draft_us_iraq_sofa_open-ended/6603/