Gov’t signed protocol with Washington without parliament’s approval

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi government has signed a protocol with the U.S. forces to protect merchant ships and Iraqi shores along the Persian Gulf without first referring it to the Parliament for approval, a spokesperson fro the Sadrist bloc said on Saturday. “Before approving the security pact, the Iraqi government had signed a protocol with the United States, under which the latter shall protect Iraqi shores overlooking the Persian Gulf as well as merchant ships from piracy,” Ahmed al-Masoudi told IraqiNews.com. “The Iraqi government has not submitted the protocol to the Parliament,” Masoudi noted, accusing the government of “acting outside the bounds of the law.” The Sadrist bloc holds 29 seats in the 275-member Parliament. On November 27, the Iraqi Parliament approved the security pact with the United States, also known as the Status-of-Forces Agreement (SOFA), with a majority of 149 votes to 35. SS (P)/SR 1