Iraqi government denies approval to extend U.S. Troops presence in Iraq after 2011

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi government has denied approval on the extension of the U.S. non-combat troops presence in the country after 2011, according to the Press Advisor of Iraq’s Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, on Friday.   “Agreement had not reached yet on the issue of the presence of (US) training forces in Iraq and talks are still continuing and are not completely settled yet,” Ali al-Moussawi told the semi-official al-Iraqiya TV Satellite Channel.   Moussawi said that the American forces would withdraw from Iraq at the end of 2011, according to the Security Agreement, signed between both countries.   His statement was issued in response to a recent statement by U.S. Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, who said that the Iraqi government had agreed on the presence of US non-combat troops in Iraq after 2011, adding that negotiations were taking place to define the type of those troops, reiterating that the United States was committed to the withdrawal of the its troops, according to the said Agreement.   SKH (IT)   578