Parliament to hold session at 3:00 pm

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi parliament will hold its session to vote on the U.S. troop withdrawal agreement at 3:00 pm on Thursday, the media department of the parliament said. For his part, MP from the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) told IraqiNews.com “we have realized great progress in negotiations on the reform document.” MP from the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) Abdul Hadi al-Hassani had said earlier that the parliament’s session dedicated to vote on the U.S. troop withdrawal agreement has been postponed until 4:00 pm Baghdad local time. Iraqi political blocs negotiates also new ‘reform document’ put forward by the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA). 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. SH (P) 1