No need for Bush to sign SOFA- expert

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: An Iraqi legal expert on Sunday said that there is no need for U.S. President George W. Bush and the Iraqi presidency to sign the troop withdrawal agreement, which has already been signed by the Iraqi foreign minister and the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad. “In his capacity as a representative of the United States, Ambassador Ryan Crocker signed the agreement with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari,” Tareq Harb, the head of the Legal Culture Association, told IraqiNews.com. “There is no need for signatures from President Bush, U.S. State Secretary Condoleezza Rice, the Iraqi president or any other presidential or Iraqi official,” Harb added. 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) 1