An Iraqi boy looks as U.S soldiers patrol Baquba, in Diyala province some 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad October 19, 2008. REUTERS/Goran TomasevicFrom Reuters:
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A pact to allow U.S. troops to stay in Iraq for three more years is unlikely to win approval in Iraq's parliament before the U.S. presidential election on November 4, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said.
Zebari said Iraq still hoped to enact the pact before the end of this year when the U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the U.S. presence expires, but acknowledged difficulties reaching agreement among Iraqi political leaders.
"The aim is to sign the agreement in the fastest time possible, preferably before the U.S. presidential election on November 4, but given the ... political contentions we don't think this is possible currently," Zebari told Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television.
Washington and Baghdad reached agreement on a final text of the pact last week, which would require U.S. forces to pull forces off Iraqi streets by the middle of next year and leave the country altogether by the end of 2011, unless asked to stay.
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My Comment: If Sen. Obama wins the election, Iraq will have no leverage with the new administration. Sen. Obama has made it very clear that he would want U.S. forces out ASAP .... whether the Iraqis want the troops or not.
This entire scenario does not make sense from this blogger's point of view (so far).