The United States will be asked to consider a series of amendments to an agreement on the status of its forces in Iraq, Iraqi officials announced Tuesday according to dpa. The list of proposed amendments were ratified by the federal cabinet, which also authorized the Iraqi prime minister to discuss the issue with Washington. Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement that the changes were made in accordance with proposals of ministers from various political parties, the Voices of Iraq news (VOI) agency reported. He described the changes as "essential and substantial." After Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki discusses the changes with US officials, it will return to the cabinet for further discussion. According to broadcaster al-Arabiya, the changes proposed by the cabinet would clarify under what circumstances US troops would be answerable to Iraqi law. The cabinet also wants clarity on differences between the English and Arabic texts of the agreement. One version calls for US troops to "respect" Iraqi law while the other calls for them to adhere to Iraqi law. The Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) would extend the mandate of US forces in Iraq beyond the end of this year, when the previous UN authorization runs out. Washington and Baghdad reached agreement on a final text of the pact earlier this month and hope it will be approved by lawmakers in both countries.
