Defense Secretary Robert Gates meets Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany (not seen) during an informal NATO summit of defence ministers in Budapest, October 9, 2008. REUTERS/Karoly ArvaiFrom Reuters:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates supports a draft deal with Iraq that would provide a new legal basis to keep American forces there after a U.N. mandate expires on December 31, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
"He is comfortable with the document," said Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell, noting that Gates began calling members of the U.S. Congress on Thursday in support of the deal.
After months of talks, U.S. and Iraqi officials said on Wednesday they had reached agreement on a pact that would require U.S. forces to withdraw from Iraq by 2011.
The Bush administration has long opposed a timetable for U.S. withdrawals from Iraq and Morrell insisted that the targets in the deal would be met only if conditions permitted.
Read more ....
No comments:
Post a Comment