Final drafts to implement SOFA pondered – ministry

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Joint Military Operations Coordination Committee is currently considering the final drafts to implement the security pact with Washington, the Iraqi defense ministry said in a release on Thursday. “The JMOCC, which is responsible for following up the implementation of the Iraqi-U.S. security deal, held a meeting today (Jan. 8) at the Iraqi defense ministry HQ, attended by the Iraqi defense minister and chief of staff and a number of high-ranking Iraqi and U.S. officers,” read the release as received by IraqiNews.com news agency. “Discussions between the Iraqi and U.S. sides aimed at laying mechanisms to implement the pact and making recommendations in this regard to the Iraqi premier as well as the Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee,” it added. The pact, also known as the status-of-forces agreement (SOFA), had been passed by the Iraqi parliament in November 2008 to replace the UN mandate for the U.S. forces to intervene in Iraq, which expired late last year. MH (P)/AmR 1