National dialogue bloc to quit vote on SOFA

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Arab Bloc for National Dialogue has decided to quit the vote on the U.S. troop withdrawal pact, putting the ball in the court of Iraqi tribes, the bloc’s head said on Sunday. “The Arab Bloc for National Dialogue has decided to leave the choice to the Iraqi elite and tribes…,” Saleh al-Motlak said during a Baghdad-based press conference. Motlak said “the lack of transparency surrounding the making of the agreement and subsequent negotiations have put us in a difficult and critical position…” 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