Iraq’s PM, Kurdish VP review security deal

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday discussed in Baghdad with vice president of Iraq’s Kurdistan region the security agreement between Iraq and the U.S., said a Kurdish government’s statement received by IraqiNews.com. “The meeting tackled the latest developments in Iraq and the region and relations between Kurdistan region and the federal government in various domains,” the statement added. The Iraqi cabinet endorsed the controversial pact, 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 during the past months. The pact should determine the legal framework for the U.S. presence in Iraq after the end of this year, when the international mandate granted by the UN Security Council to the U.S. army to intervene in Iraq is due to expire. SH (P) 1