Iraq Rejects US Claims of Military Presence Extension
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Media Advisor Ali Moussawi denied reports that Baghdad allowed the US to extend the military presence in the Iraqi territories beyond the 2011 deadline.
"We have not yet agreed on the issue of keeping training forces", Ali Moussawi told Agence France Presse.
This comes after US War Minister Leon Panetta claimed that Iraq agreed to extend his country's military presence beyond the 2011 deadline. In an interview on Friday, Panetta said, "My view is that they finally did day Yes".
However, on his part Moussawi rejected the aforementioned claims, further explaining that negotiations between both sides are still ongoing and they have not been finalized.
After years of US presence in Iraq, the US officials are currently exerting pressure on the Iraqi government, in an attempt to keep thousands of its troops in the impoverished country beyond the December 31, 2011 deadline.
Source: News Agencies
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