Bush meets with PB, UIA head before signing SOFA

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: U.S. President George W. Bush on Sunday held a four-hour meeting with the Iraqi Presidential Board and the head of the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) before heading for another meeting with the Iraqi premier to sign the troop withdrawal agreement. The meeting tackled means of boosting bilateral relations after signing the foreign troop withdrawal pact, and the reform document, which was approved by the Parliament late last month. A private meeting took place between Bush and the head of the UIA, Abdelaziz al-Hakeem, but no details of it have been released thus far. 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