Bush, Maliki to sign SOFA within hours

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will meet with U.S. President George W. Bush within the next few hours to officially sign the troop withdrawal agreement, according to a cabinet source. “A joint press conference will be held after signing the pact,” the source told IraqiNews.com. Earlier today, Bush arrived on a surprise visit to the capital Baghdad and met with President Jalal al-Talabani. Bush’s visit comes only 17 days ahead of the beginning of the implementation of the long-term security pact with Iraq, known as the status of forces agreement (SOFA), scheduled to come into effect on January 1, 2009. On November 27, the Iraqi Parliament approved SOFA with a majority of 144 votes to 35 lawmakers, 29 of them are members of parliament from the Sadrist bloc of Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr. SS (P) 1