The Bush administration still expects the Iraqi parliament to approve an U.S.-Iraq security pact, although the Iraqi lawmakers have delayed a vote on the pact until Thursday.
"We are hopeful that it will get done, we think it should get done, it's a very good agreement," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto on Wednesday at the daily press briefing.
"It's good for both Iraq and the United States, and so we'll keep an eye on what they are doing and hopefully they'll able be to get it across the goal line," Fratto added.
The vote was scheduled on Wednesday on the long-awaited Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to allow U.S. army troops to stay in Iraq for another three years, but political parties in the parliament dispute over some of the conditions.
The Iraqi government almost unanimously approved the SOFA draft pact on Sunday. According to the Iraqi law, the pact must be passed through the parliament and then the presidency council to be valid.
The SOFA draft pact stated, among other things, that the U.S. troops will withdraw from Iraq's cities, towns and villages by June 30 next year to their bases and will leave the country on December 31, 2011.
For months, the two countries were at odds over the agreement, which the U.S. needs as a legitimate support for the station of its troops beyond 2008 after the current UN mandate ends on December 31.
Source:Xinhua
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