Ethics

Iraqi Parliament Ratifies SOFA - Kind Of

By Ed Brayton

The Iraqi parliament ratified the Status of Forces Agreement, but with a major change. The agreement mandates that American forces are completely withdrawn by the end of 2011, but it adds a referendum by July 2009 at which time the Iraqi people can demand that they be withdrawn in one year's time, or July 2010:

The vote came after a flurry of last-minute negotiations in which the main Sunni parties secured a package of political reforms from the government and a commitment to hold a referendum on the pact no later than July 30.

Should the Iraqi government decide to cancel the pact after the referendum it would have to give Washington one year's notice, meaning that troops would be allowed to remain in the country only until the summer of 2010.

Full post as published by Dispatches from the Culture Wars on December 02, 2008 (boomark / email).