By Cernig
We've noted several times here that the negotiations between Iraq and the Bush administration on new status of forces agreements to replace the UN mandate due to expire in December are not going well. Today, we have the first official confirmation of one major sticking point.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq said on Friday it would not grant U.S. troops freedom of movement for military operations in a new agreement being negotiated on extending the presence of American troops on its soil.
Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih said the United States wanted its forces to operate with no restrictions, but this was not acceptable to Iraq.
...While the Iraqi government has confirmed there are major differences between the two sides in the negotiations, few details of the sticking points have been made public.
"What I can confirm now, with no hesitation, is that there will not be freedom of movement for American (forces) in Iraq," Salih told Arabiya television.
U.S. officials said this week they would not comment on the content of the negotiations.
But Western diplomats say it is unlikely the Americans would agree to any deal that would require them to seek permission from the Iraqi government for every military operation.
"If we reach an agreement ... any American military movements should be in the framework of Iraqi approval and decisions and through consultations with the Iraqi side," Salih said.
That the Bush administration won't agree to Iraqi wishes to control the movements and actions of thousands of well armed troops on their own sovereign soil is significant. No other nation America has a status of forces deal with would countenance such a free hand to the US and none of them have such a wide-open agreement. This blows the McSame Myth that the occupation of Iraq is or ever will be just like basing in South Korea or Germany wide open.
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