Vote on SOFA postponed until tom.

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Parliament has put off the vote on the U.S. troop withdrawal pact until tomorrow, Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani said on Wednesday. “The Parliament will meet tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. to give a further opportunity to political leaders, who have agreed on all of the proposed points with the exception of one…,” Mashhadani said in reference to the ‘reform document’, upon which a vote is expected to take place before another on the U.S. troop withdrawal pact. The Iraqi cabinet has endorsed a controversial security pact with the United States, also known as the status-of-forces agreement (SOFA), by an overwhelming majority of 27 votes to 1. The Iraqi and U.S. sides have been negotiating a long-term security deal throughout the past months. The pact should determine the legal framework for U.S. troop presence when a UN mandate expires at the end of 2008. SS (P)/SR 1