Bush Admin Pitches Iraq Deal To Candidates

[FlyingSquirrel]

Source: Msnbc

From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Libby Leist

Both members of the Democratic ticket got a call yesterday from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. And the Republican nominee heard from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Rice and Gates are seeking Congressional support for the text of a draft security agreement that the Bush Administration has reached with the Iraqi government.

(snip)

After months of negotiations, the U.S. and Iraq appear to have finally reached agreement on two of the thorniest issues: immunity for U.S. troops and a date for withdrawal of U.S. troops. According to State and Defense officials, the draft says U.S. military personnel who break the law in Iraq will be subject to Iraqi laws, prosecution and incarceration. But the agreement specifies that applies only to U.S. military forces who are off the military base and off duty. Today, Defense Secretary Gates said "there's no reason to be concerned" with the pending agreement and he said Generals Petraeus and Odierno are "all satisified the (U.S.) men and women in uniform serving in Iraq are well-protected."

The draft also includes a timeline for withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2011, although the pace and length of the withdrawal would be subject to reevaluation based on conditions on the ground. The three-year timeline is closer to the plan that Obama has proposed than the vision espoused by the Republican nominee.

Read more: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/17/1562280.aspx