The Washington Post reports today that extremists in Iraq are stepping up attacks ahead of the Dec. 31 deadline for all U.S. military forces to withdraw. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, President Jalal Talabani, and other top Iraqi officials met to discuss whether to ask American officials for a continued U.S. presence beyond the deadline, but “it could be weeks, if not months, before any formal request would be made to the White House.” Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his loyalists are adamantly opposed to U.S. troops staying beyond the deadline. “We think that the extension of the U.S. in Iraqi is a red line,” said Sadr loyalist Salah Alubadi. “If this happens, we will present a lawsuit to the federal court.”
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