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Iraq power transfer bogs down

An Iraqi buys a gold-plated pendant in the shape of the country's map in a jewelry shop in Baghdad on Thursday. At a time when sectarian violence and squabbling between politicians are pushing the country toward an uncertain future, Iraqi women are literally carrying Iraq around their neck. PHOTO: AP

Talks between the US and Iraq over the transfer of operational command of Iraq's armed forces were deadlocked yesterday, with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki demanding more independence from the US military.

A day after the dispute forced an embarrassing delay of a signing ceremony in Baghdad, an Iraqi Defense Ministry source said disagreements remained over the wording of a document that outlines the new relationship between US-led occupying forces and Iraq's new military.

"There are some disputes between the two parties. We have our own point of view and they have theirs. We want thorough control and want the freedom to make decisions independently," the source said on condition of anonymity.

Saturday's ceremony to transfer control of Iraq's army from US commander General George Casey to the Iraqi Defense Ministry had been hailed by US officials as a big step towards Iraq taking responsibility for security.

The US military, suffering almost daily casualties that have dampened domestic support for the war in Iraq, has been training Iraq's fledgling military under a plan that would allow it to begin withdrawing its 140,000 troops.

Maliki, keen to be seen as ending his dependency on US military power, said last week his forces would take control of most of Iraq from foreign troops by the end of the year.

A US military spokesman said the dispute centered over the document's wording and played down major disagreements between the two sides, adding that he expected it would be signed soon.

"It's not a matter of major substance, but they're not happy with the wording of the document," Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson said late on Saturday.

"It is embarrassing, but it was decided it was better not to sign the document," he said.

But in a sign that negotiations could drag on, Mohammed al-Askari, spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said the government would take its time until an agreement was reached.

"We need more time regarding these discussions. There are some articles that need more discussions with the Americans. We don't want to be rushed into making these decisions. Our points of view are not identical," he said.

In his weekly radio address, US President George. W Bush told people in the US that Iraq was not in a civil war, despite a week in which hundreds died, including 14 Pakistani and Indian Shiite pilgrims who were killed in Iraq's western desert.

Sistani's restraint on Shiites has been weakened since the bombing of a Shiite shrine in February unleashed a wave of tit-for-tat killings.

Meanwhile, an overnight mortar attack east of Baghdad killed six people, including two children, authorities said yesterday.

Several mortars fell on the residential area of al-Maamel on the capital's eastern outskirts on Saturday night, police said.

Yesterday morning, a roadside bomb targeting a police patrol in eastern Baghdad killed two policemen and a civilian and wounded three policemen, police Major Mahir Hameed Mosa said.

The mainly Shiite eastern parts of the capital have seen significant violence in recent days. The most severe occurred on Thursday night, when a coordinated barrage of attacks killed 64 people.
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