Iraqi Cabinet approves US military agreement
Under the terms of the deal, US forces can stay in the country for another three years
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Sunday, 16, Nov 2008 09:08
Iraq's Cabinet has approved an agreement with the US military allowing it to continue its presence in the country.
Senior Iraqi ministers approved the military pact which details the conditions under which 150,000 American troops will be able to maintain security in the state for the next three years.
Under the terms of the agreement, which is yet to be approved by parliament, US forces will have to end patrols of the country by mid-2009 while all US forces must leave the country by 2011.
Speaking about the agreement, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said: "The Cabinet has just unanimously approved a deal between Iraq and the United States for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq."
Previously, US forces were in the country under a UN mandate which permitted them to stay in the Middle Eastern country until the end of the year.
The agreement has been criticised by Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr who is seeking an end to the presence of "the occupier" in the country.
Analysts see the ceasefire with the nationalist cleric as a key contributor to security improvements in the Middle Eastern state.