Troop Pact Should Be Finalised Soon

As we had expected it to, the Iraqi government approved a security pact with Washington governing the future of the US troop presence in the country on Sunday (November 16). The Iraqi parliament is still to ratify the agreement, and certain groups, namely the Shi'a followers of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and possibly some Sunni lawmakers, are likely to oppose the agreement when it is debated. Nonetheless, we expect it to be ratified, most likely before November 25 when parliament is due to be adjourned for three weeks so that lawmakers can set off on the hajj pilgrimage.

To read the full article, please choose one of the following options: