BAGHDAD — Iraq’s parliament ended weeks of debate Sunday and passed a long-delayed law paving the way for the planned January election to go forward, sidestepping a crisis that could have delayed the U.S. troop withdrawal.
Also late Sunday, the U.S. military said two U.S. Army pilots were killed when their helicopter experienced a hard landing in Salahuddin province. It provided no further details.
The election decision appeared to resolve a key sticking point — who will be allowed to vote in the disputed, oil- rich city of Kirkuk. The issue had threatened to delay Iraq’s key parliamentary elections, which in turn would affect how quickly American combat forces could leave the country.
In a sign of how intensely Washington was following the debate, U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill could be seen shuttling between various political factions before the law’s passage. President Barack Obama, speaking at the White House, welcomed the new legislation.
“This is an important milestone as the Iraqi people continue to take responsibility for their future,” Obama said. “The United States will continue to stand with Iraq as a strong partner and as a friend.”
The U.S. ambassador, speaking to reporters after the vote, said the American troop drawdown will proceed as scheduled. Military commanders have said the troop withdrawal would start in earnest about 60 days after the vote, the idea being that the country would be on stable footing by then.
It was not clear exactly when the election would be held — Jan. 16 as originally planned or a later date in January. The head of the Independent High Electoral Commission, Faraj al-Haidari, said he expected the vote to be held within a week of Jan. 16.
The law’s passage had been repeatedly delayed by sharp disagreements over how voting would take place in Kirkuk, a city claimed by both Arabs and Kurds and a major flash point in the country.
Kurds consider Kirkuk a Kurdish city and want it part of their self-ruled region in northern Iraq. The Arab-led central government vehemently opposes anything that would remove Kirkuk from its control.
Under the legislation passed Sunday, the vote in Kirkuk would be held just like in other regions around the country, but the votes — and those in other disputed areas — could be subject to a special review if it is determined that there was a large population increase. Arabs and the Turkomens claim Kurds have packed the city with immigrants to tip the balance in their favor.
