Iraq Wants US Troop Pact Changes
By VOA News
28 October 2008
Iraq will propose changes to a controversial draft security pact with the United States.
The Iraqi Cabinet Tuesday came up with the planned amendments, which are to be discussed with U.S. negotiators.
Under the current draft accord, U.S. troops could remain in Iraq for three years, after a U.N. mandate expires in December. U.S. officials say without the accord, all U.S. military operations would cease in Iraq.
It was not immediately known what changes Iraq intends to propose.
Also Tuesday, the Turkish government said it launched a cross-border bombing raid against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. Ankara has stepped up attacks on Iraq-based PKK rebels in the past month.
And in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, authorities say gunmen fired on a group of police officers heading to work, killing four of them.
Four other officers were wounded.
Violence in Mosul has surged recently, even as attacks have declined elsewhere in Iraq.
But, the U.S. military in Iraq said last week overall violence - particularly bomb attacks - has declined in Mosul since Iraqi forces began a large-scale operation there in mid-October.
In Baghdad, authorities say a car bomb explosion killed at least three people and wounded more than 13 others in the al-Jihad neighborhood.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
