NEWS FLASH

Iraqi Parliament Okays Negotiations For Possible U.S. Troop Presence Extention | After a five-hour debate, the Iraqi parliament gave permission to the country’s leaders to negotiate with the U.S. over the possibility of U.S. troops remaining there beyond the December 31, 2011, deadline set in a 2008 agreement. U.S. civilian and military leaders have recently been pressuring the Iraqi government to negotiate a deal now so that, in the event an extension is not granted, the U.S. can make plans to withdraw the 46,000 U.S. troops that remain in Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minsiter Nouri Al Maliki hinted that he might bypass parliament and keep U.S. trainers around, but wouldn’t say if they were troops or contractors. After today’s session, Iraqi officials warned that a U.S. extension is far from settled and troops may still need to leave by New Years Day 2012.