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Iraq poised for US pull-out vote Iraq delays vote on US withdrawal
(about 7 hours later)
The Iraqi parliament is due to hold a crucial vote on a plan to withdraw all US troops from the country by the end of 2011. The Iraqi parliament has delayed until Thursday a crucial vote on a plan to withdraw all US troops from the country by the end of 2011.
They would also be off the streets by the middle of next year and they will be banned from carrying out certain raids without Iraqi permission. Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani said agreement had been reached on all points under discussion except one, but gave no further details.
The Shia-led government says it is confident the vote will go through. The Shia-led government says it is confident the vote will pass but needs backing from the main Sunni parties.
However it also needs to get the backing of the main Sunni parties if the plan is to be workable. Under the plan, US troops will be off the streets by the middle of next year.
The Iraqi government is hailing this watershed parliamentary session as the prelude to the return of full sovereignty to country. They will be banned from carrying out certain raids without Iraqi permission.
Referendum demand
The parliament convened briefly on Wednesday afternoon after hours of negotiations to announce that the vote would be delayed until 1000 local time (0700 GMT) on Thursday.
"The general atmosphere indicates there will be an agreement, the leaders have agreed on all the points under discussion except for one," Mr Mashhadani said, quoted by AFP news agency.
The Sunni MPs are negotiating for a greater presence in the security forces and in the government in general, as well as demanding that a referendum be held some months after the vote goes through.
Correspondents say that, while the government has accepted the referendum, political groups are seizing the opportunity to trade their support for concessions on other issues.
The Iraqi government is hailing this watershed parliamentary session as the prelude to the return of full sovereignty to the country.
The plan to withdraw US troops by the end of 2011 took a year of negotiations with the Americans.The plan to withdraw US troops by the end of 2011 took a year of negotiations with the Americans.
It has been approved by the Iraqi cabinet. But a stormy debate is expected in parliament from both Shia and Sunni parties who do not back the government. It has been approved by the Iraqi cabinet.
Crucial to the agreement are the minority Sunni MPS whose support is needed to create a sense of national consensus. Crucial to the agreement are the minority Sunni MPs whose support is needed to create a sense of national consensus.
They want more Sunnis enrolled into the security forces and a referendum and say the government must meet these - and other - conditions if they are to approve the plan. Opposition also comes from a hard-line Shia party, the Sadrists, who say US troops must leave by the end of this year.
Opposition also comes from the hardline Shia party, the Sadrists, who say US troops must leave by the end of this year.
They also want Iraq's political balance re-negotiated to give more of a role to religious clerics.They also want Iraq's political balance re-negotiated to give more of a role to religious clerics.
The mainstream Shia and Kurdish parties already provide nearly all the 138 votes needed in the 275 seat parliament, but even the government says it will not consider victory unless it has a large majority that includes the Sunnis.The mainstream Shia and Kurdish parties already provide nearly all the 138 votes needed in the 275 seat parliament, but even the government says it will not consider victory unless it has a large majority that includes the Sunnis.
Negotiations are still going on and if they fail the vote itself could be postponed.