Iraq Cabinet OK’s Occupation Deal

To the great relief of U.S. military commanders, Iraq’s cabinet approved an agreement that would provide a legal basis for the occupation beyond Dec. 31. The deal, which still must clear a vote in parliament, maintains partial immunity for U.S. soldiers and calls for the withdrawal of American forces by 2011.

Update: Iraq’s foreign minister and the U.S. ambassador have signed the agreement.

New York Times:

All but one of the 28 cabinet ministers who attended the two-and-a-half-hour session voted for the agreement and sent it to Parliament for consideration, a huge relief to the United States, which had been in intense negotiations with the Iraqis for nearly a year.

The United Nations Security Council resolution that allows U.S. troops to operate in Iraq expires Dec. 31, and, without an extension of the resolution or a separate agreement with the Iraqis like that approved by the cabinet on Sunday, forces of the U.S.-led coalition would have no legal mandate to operate.

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U.S. Army / Spc. Richard DelVecchio

U.S. Army Pfc. Christopher Bradley watches as Black Hawk helicopters take off on an air assault mission near Sadr al Yusufiyah, Iraq.