Iraq deal not so certain

Iraq watchers say democracy is taking hold in Iraq. This analyst says these negotiations mean real politics are now going on in Iraq. He says the negotiations over the security pact have been tough, especially because there’s still a war going on around Baghdad and Iraq has only recently recovered its sovereignty. The contentious issues at hand are the withdrawal of U.S. troops by the end of 2011 and the question of whether Iraq can prosecute U.S. troops and contractors accused of serious crimes. Secretary of State Rice reiterated that the agreement shouldn’t threaten Iraqi sovereignty. This Iraqi government spokesman says he’s certain the various political groups in Iraq will come around, despite their initial disagreements. Still both Baghdad and Washington had hoped to conclude this agreement back in July and time is running out because the current U.N. mandate for the U.S. to be in Iraq expires at the end of this year. This analyst says even the U.S. role in Iraq will likely remain the same even without an agreement by the end of the year. That said, he says he’s not sure how both sides will come to an agreement on this issue.