Iraq’s prime minister says disagreements about legal protection for U.S. soldiers scuttled months of negotiations to keep American troops in Iraq beyond this year.

Iraqi police officers stand guard at a checkpoint in central Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. Iraq’s prime minister says disagreements about legal protection for U.S. soldiers scuttled months of negotiations to keep American troops in Iraq beyond this year. Nouri al-Maliki told reporters Saturday that he still wants American help in training Iraqi forces to use military equipment Baghdad is buying from the United States. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)