But Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said on Tuesday a final agreement was still far away, and cautioned that Baghdad could still insist the US military leave by the end of 2011 as required under a 2008 security agreement. “The government still might not do it (allow US troops to stay),” Zebari said after the closed-door discussions. “This is a politically highly charged issue, and there was division,” he said. “But this meeting unified all the political leaders to back the government and start the negotiations.”
Zebari said no details were settled like how many US troops would stay, or for how long, or whether they would be given legal immunity from prosecution.
Those issues will be key factors as Washington weighs whether it will continue its military presence in Iraq after more than eight years of war.
In a statement, the US Embassy in Baghdad said it would review the Iraqi leaders' decision. “We are committed to a broad and long-term partnership with the Iraqi people, and will review our security relationship within that context,” the statement said.
The issue has put Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in an uncomfortable position with one of his top allies, anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who is bent on driving American forces from the country.