Major Iraq decisions left to next president

[unhappycamper]

Major Iraq decisions left to next president
By Lolita C. Baldor - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jun 10, 2008 6:53:14 EDT

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is conceding for the first time that the U.S. may not finish a complex security agreement with Iraq before President Bush leaves office.

Faced with stiff Iraqi opposition, it is “very possible” the U.S. may have to extend an existing U.N. mandate, said a senior administration official close to the talks. That would mean major decisions about how U.S. forces operate in Iraq could be left to the next president, including how much authority the U.S. must give Iraqis over military operations and how quickly the handover takes place.

The official said the goal is still to have an agreement by year’s end. And the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, said he feels no pressure from the U.S. political calendar, and that Dec. 31 is “a clear deadline.”

Still, Crocker also said last week, “My focus on this is more on getting it done right than getting it done quick.”

The Bush administration is seeking an agreement with Baghdad that would provide for a normal, permanent U.S. military and diplomatic presence in Iraq. The word “permanent” has been a flashpoint for many who oppose the war, both in the U.S. and Iraq. But the U.S. official stressed that the agreement will not call for permanent U.S. bases on Iraqi soil.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/06/ap_bushiraq_060908/