BAGHDAD — Iraq’s parliament rejected for the second time Saturday a draft law allowing foreign troops from countries other than the United States to remain after the end of the year, lawmakers said.
The law drafted by the government of Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki would allow all foreign troops other than Americans to stay in Iraq until the end of July. It was rejected earlier in the week and is expected to be approved in another vote after Christmas.
Those opposed to the draft law were primarily lawmakers loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
A separate agreement approved recently by the Iraqi government and parliament allows the U.S. to retain troops in the country until the end of 2011. The accord, which takes effect Jan. 1, gives Iraq strict oversight over the nearly 150,000 American military members now in the country.
“Voting was carried out in parliament on the draft law and it was rejected and turned back to the government,” Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman said.
Britain will withdraw its 4,000 troops by the end of May. After the Dec. 31 expiration of the U.N. mandate authorizing military operations in Iraq, the only coalition troops to remain will be from the U.S., Britain, Australia, El Salvador, Estonia and Romania. Australia has the largest force among the last four countries with 1,000 troops, followed by Romania with 501, El Salvador with 200 and Estonia with 40.
The Associated Press
