Sadrists bloc stages sit-in in front of parliament to reject security deal

Iraq-Sadrists BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Sadrist bloc on Thursday staged a sit-in in front of Parliament to demonstrate its rejection of the security deal between Iraq and the U.S., the spokesman for the bloc said. “Sadrists are currently staging a sit-in in front of the Parliament to demonstrate their rejection of the security deal and they will continue their sit-in until the government, Parliament, and other political blocs reject it,” Ahmed al-Massoudi told IraqiNews.com. “There are huge pressures exerted on the government by some Iraqi politicians and U.S. leaders to sign the deal,” he explained. The U.S. and Iraqi governments are currently negotiating a security pact that would regulate the presence of foreign troops in the country after 2008. A declaration of principles was signed between U.S. President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in December 2007. The declaration was scheduled to be ratified on July 31, 2008 and to come into force as of January 1, 2009. The agreement governs the presence of U.S. forces in the country after 2008 and will not come into force without the approval of the Iraqi Parliament The current U.N. mandate for U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq expires on 31 December. About 144,000 of the 152,000 foreign troops deployed there are US military personnel. The Iraqi government has publicly insisted on a clear timeline for withdrawal, and U.S. officials said the current draft included a timeline for U.S. withdrawal before the end of 2011. It also wants to be able to prosecute U.S. troops if they commit crimes outside their bases while off duty or on unauthorized missions. SH (S)/SR 1