Iraqi Vice President unveils real disagreements with U.S. on security pact

Iraqi Vice President unveils real disagreements with U.S. on security pact

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq

BAGHDAD, Sept. 22 (VOI) – Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi on Monday unveiled a real disagreement with Washington regarding some articles of the security agreement.
Speaking to Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq -(VOI), al-Hashemi said “there are real disagreement with the U.S. side on the long-term agreement, noting that Iraq seeks to sign a deal which realizes reconciliation and saves the country’s dignity and to respect the neighboring countries’ sovereignty.
Al-Hashemi is the leader of the Islamic party, one of the main components of the Iraqi Accord Front (IAF) which has 38 seats out of the 275-seat parliament.
Although, he voiced optimism over reaching a final formula of the agreement with the U.S. side.
A declaration of principles was signed between U.S. President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in December 2007. The declaration was scheduled to be ratified on July 31, 2008 and to come into force as of January 1, 2009.
The agreement governs the presence of U.S. forces in the country after 2008 and will not come into force without the approval of the Iraqi Parliament, which has 275 members from five blocs, in addition to the Sadrist movement and al-Fadhila party.
The U.S. troops' presence currently relies on a mandate by the United Nations and is annually renewed at the request of the Iraqi government.