Length: 1:29
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The same recorded piece as the 6/13 International World News one.
MICHAEL
WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In a
potentially make or break development for the U.S.
mission in Iraq, the Iraqi government is considering
passing its own laws dictating what U.S. forces will
and will not be able to do, rather than signing a
U.S. agreement. With the United Nations mandate for
the war soon expiring, Washington and Baghdad are
intensely negotiating an agreement to regulate the
presence of U.S. forces in Iraq.
But in a move likely to impact upon the race for the
U.S. presidency, Iraqi lawmaker,Haidar al-Abadi, a
senior aide to Iraq's prime minister, says Baghdad
may choose to not make an agreement at all.
HAIDAR ABADI, MALIKI ADVISER: And I think everybody
now is recognizing, including probably the American
administration, we're saying now, we don't have to
sign this. We can do without it. But, we need
something in place to regulate the existence of U.S.
forces on the Iraqi land.
WARE: Effectively blunting the U.S. war effort and
possibly ramming unpalatable terms down the throat of
the next American president. With indications from
Iraq's prime minister that the talks are deadlocked,
America's leverage in the negotiations may be under
threat as its regional rival, Iran, is standing by to
replace Washington's training, equipping, and
intelligence-sharing in Iraq.
Michael Ware, CNN, Baghdad.