Iraqi PM says security talks with US deadlocked

BAGHDAD (AP) - Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared Friday that talks with the U.S. on a new security agreement were deadlocked, as Sunni and Shiite preachers spoke out against the deal that would enable American troops to remain in Iraq after year's end.

Al-Maliki said negotiations will continue, but his tough talk reflects Iraqi determination to win greater control of U.S. military operations after the U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year.

His comments, made during a visit to Amman, Jordan, echo those of other leading Iraqi politicians, who have complained that U.S. proposals would give the Americans too much power over political, economic and military affairs and infringe on Iraqi sovereignty.

"The first drafts presented left us at a dead end and deadlock," al-Maliki said. "So, we abandoned these first drafts. The negotiations will continue with new ideas until the sides reach a formula that preserves Iraq's sovereignty."

The agreement would establish a long-term security relationship between the United States and Iraq and provide a legal basis for the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq after the U.N. mandate expires.

Failure to strike a deal would be a major setback for President Bush ahead of the November presidential election and at a time when Democrats are calling for an end to the unpopular war.

U.S. negotiators offered new proposals this week in hopes of assuaging Iraqi anger and finalizing the deal by the July target date.

But some Iraqi lawmakers familiar with the negotiations say the American proposals still fall short of Iraqi demands. Al-Maliki promised that the agreement would be submitted to Iraq's parliament for final approval.

"Any agreement that infringes on Iraq's sovereignty and its components will be dismissed and will not be acceptable," al-Maliki said. "Iraqi politicians are aware of the importance of sovereignty."

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the United States did not consider the talks at an impasse and that "the negotiations will continue." U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo said the talks were based "on the fundamental principal of U.S. recognition of and respect for Iraq's sovereignty."

But the two sides appear far apart on several key issues, including immunity for American soldiers, freedom for U.S. forces to carry out military operations, control of Iraqi air space and authority to detain suspects.

U.S. officials have declined to comment on specific proposals. But Iraqi lawmakers say the Americans dropped a demand for immunity for civilian contractors but have insisted that U.S. troops not be subject to prosecution in Iraqi courts.

The Americans have also offered to notify the Iraqis of military movements and to hand over suspects to the Iraqis.

But the Iraqis want greater limits on U.S. authority.

"The pact ... gives U.S the right to identify people as 'terrorists.' They might use that to attack any political group under the pretext of 'fighting terrorism,'" Shiite lawmaker Bahaa al-Aaraji told Al-Arabiya television.

An agreement would solidify U.S. military and political support for al-Maliki, who faces the prospect of a shift in American policy if presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama wins the White House.

But the negotiations have become so politically charged that it may be difficult for Iraqi lawmakers to sign off on any agreement that enables the U.S. military to effectively carry out its mission.

In Friday sermons, Shiite and Sunni imams warned against any deal that limits Iraq's independence, in some cases misrepresenting both American and Iraqi positions in the talks.

"The occupier came with shiny mottos, claiming that they were democratic," said Sheik Ahmed Hassam al-Taha during prayer services at Baghdad's main Sunni mosque. "But if they really were, how come they want a long-term agreement without the approval of the Iraqi people?"

Ahmed al-Safi, an aide to the country's main Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, warned that "Iraq's sovereignty and economy must be protected" despite U.S. insistence that it respects those principles.

"The Iraqi negotiators must be up to the responsibility and should have a unified point of view," al-Safi told a congregation in the holy city of Karbala.

Hundreds of followers of Muqtada al-Sadr rallied against the agreement following the anti-American cleric's call for weekly protests against any deal that would allow the Americans to stay.

Sadrist cleric Sheik Dhia al-Shawki accused the United States of trying to cement its foothold in the Middle East, calling the agreement dangerous for Muslims.

"This agreement is a project of domination and control," he said during his sermon in Baghdad's Shiite stronghold of Sadr City. "The Americans are calling for it to protect their interests in the Middle East and keep the security of Israel and make Israel the biggest power in the region."

Meanwhile, al-Sadr issued a statement Friday announcing that his Mahdi Army would continue to resist U.S.-led forces but that fighting should be limited to a select group within its ranks.

"Weapons will be in the hands of this group exclusively and will be directed only at the occupier," he said, referring to the Americans. He warned those who disobey will be "disowned by me."

Al-Sadr's intent was unclear, but it appeared the statement was aimed at bolstering his authority over the militia and reining in splinter groups.

Also Friday, U.S. troops killed five suspected Shiite gunmen and detained two others during a raid near Hillah, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, the American military said.

Iraqi police spokesman Capt. Muthanna Khalid said two civilians, including a woman, also were killed and three others wounded after they were caught in the crossfire. The U.S. military said it had no reports of civilian casualties.
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