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JOHN
ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: 47 days now until the transition
of power. And this morning, a brand new CNN Opinion
Research Corporation Poll shows most Americans think
President-elect Barack Obama has picked the right
people to help him run the country. 75 percent
approve of his cabinet appointments and just 22
percent disapprove.
Well, we're also getting some breaking news this
morning that the presidential council in Iraq has
signed on to the U.S.-Iraqi security agreement.
That's the final step which would pave the way for
American troops to be out of that country within
three years' time.
President Jalal Talabani and his two deputies signed
that piece of paper just a little while ago. Our
Michael Ware is live in Baghdad this morning to talk
more about the significance of all of this.
And Michael, the first question that I have is, they
have finally hammered out the security arrangement,
but in 47 days we get a new president. Is it expected
that President Barack Obama's orders, whatever he
issues, will supersede this agreement?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well,
certainly the incoming administration will be
considered to be bound by this administration, the
Bush administration. Indeed, the government that
started this war has all but ended America's
capability to fight that war by signing this
agreement. And President-elect Obama will be expected
by all and sundry to live up to that.
Now, President-elect Obama will be able to draw his
troops down as he sees fit, whether he listens to his
commanders, as he says, or not, under the terms of
this agreement. And indeed, the Iraqis have insisted,
despite what Washington originally wanted, that all
American troops will be out in three years
regardless. No questions, no negotiations. And it's
up to the Iraqis, not to Washington.
Now, what we've seen today is that the Iraqi
Presidency Council -- that's the president and the
two vice presidents -- have ratified the agreement.
The real move to creating this arrangement was passed
last week in the Iraqi parliament, their version of
Congress.
Once they passed this agreement, that was it. So this
is more or less a rubber-stamp. The next big step is
to see how this is going to be implemented. And as
Lieutenant General Austin, one of the American --
second most senior American commanders here in Iraq,
said yesterday, this is the end of American combat
operations on their own. From here on, the Iraqis are
in the driver's seat in this war and they're going to
be able to, in so many ways, take control and guide
the actions of U.S. combat troops -- John.
ROBERTS: We should remind people, Michael, that
President-elect Barack Obama's plans would have U.S.
forces out of there by about June or July of 2010, so
that would leave about an 18-month buffer before this
agreement would demand that they all be out.
But what about this idea that President Bush talked
about in his State of the Union Address this past
year where he said that there may be a residual force
left in Iraq in a long-term security arrangement with
the Iraqi government, sort of a garrison force, very
similar to what the United States has either in
Germany or in South Korea? Is that now off the table
or could they sign an ancillary agreement that would
provide for some sort of lingering garrison force?
WARE: Yes. Well, certainly, in terms of the agreement
that stands at the moment, Washington, the Pentagon,
the White House were out-maneuvered by the Iraqis.
There's absolutely no provision for any kind of
residual or garrison force.
There isn't any hope for a Japan post-World War II, a
South Korea, a Germany. The Iraqi government said it
doesn't want that. And indeed, in one of the crucial
clauses of this agreement, there was a small door
that was being kept open to say, the next Iraqi
government could look to extend this agreement or
could alter it.
Well, certain factions within the Iraqi government
here related to Iran made it very clear that that
clause had to be dropped, and it was. So it's
non-negotiable. The decision for now is out of the
American president's hands. He's being dictated to by
the Iraqi government -- John.
ROBERTS: Michael Ware for us this morning in Baghdad
with all that. Michael, thanks so much. It's now
coming up on seven minutes after the hour.