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US Will Be Out of Iraq by 2011, PM Says
Maliki firm on 'fixed date,' though US says deal isn't finalized
By Harry Kimball
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Posted Aug 25, 08 11:19 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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The US has agreed to a timeline that forces all foreign troops out of Iraq by 2011 as part of a proposed pact, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said today. "There is an agreement actually reached, reached between the two parties on a fixed date, which is the end of 2011, to end any foreign presence on Iraqi soil," Maliki told tribal leaders. But the US said the deal had not yet been sealed, Reuters reports.
And the larger security pact still faces some hurdles. Al-Maliki raised concerns, saying, "Unless these can be revised, it will be difficult for this treaty to be signed." But the increasingly assertive PM was clear on the withdrawal deadline: "An open time limit is not acceptable in any security deal that governs the presence of the international forces."