Security Talks Hit 'Dead End,' Iraqi PM Says

Talks with the US on a longterm security deal have hit an impasse over fears the US will infringe on Iraqi sovereignty, the nation's prime minister said. "The first drafts presented left us at a dead end," said Nouri al-Maliki. "So, we left these first drafts, and the negotiations will continue with new ideas until the sides reach a formula that preserves Iraq's sovereignty."

The security agreement would provide a legal basis for the presence of US forces in Iraq after the UN mandate expires at the end of this year. US negotiators offered new proposals this week after Iraqi lawmakers expressed outrage over the direction of the negotiations, claiming that accepting the US position would cement American domination of the country. "Any agreement that infringes on Iraq's sovereignty will be dismissed," Maliki added. (More Nouri al-Maliki stories.)