BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Monday that an agreement on the future of U.S. forces in Iraq must include a firm withdrawal date and that Iraq wants the troops out of the country by the end of 2011.
It was the first time al-Maliki explicitly had demanded a fixed deadline for the departure of all U.S. troops from Iraq. His words appeared to rule out the presence of any U.S. military advisers, special forces or air support after the withdrawal date.
The current draft of the U.S.-Iraqi security agreement outlines a conditional timeline of 2011 for U.S. combat troops to be out of Iraq. However, it leaves open the door for the U.S. military to stay on in a noncombat role.
The security agreement needs to be approved by Iraq’s parliament by the end of the year, when the U.N. mandate governing the presence of U.S. forces here expires. Los Angeles Times
