U.S., Iraq discussing long-term goals

BAGHDAD, Iraq – The United States and Iraq have opened negotiations on a blueprint for relations after the U.N. mandate for the presence of American-led troops in Iraq expires at the end of the year, officials said Tuesday.

The two sides confirmed that their representatives met Tuesday at Iraq’s Foreign Ministry, but did not provide details about who was present or what was discussed.

An Iraqi Foreign Ministry statement described the meeting as the start of formal talks, but U.S. officials sought to play down its significance. U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo said preparatory discussions, which have been going on for weeks, had “naturally evolved into the negotiations themselves” and that Tuesday’s talks were a “continuation of that process.”

U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki did not attend Tuesday’s session.

The proposed deal is a contentious issue in Washington, where Democrats have accused the Bush administration of trying to commit the U.S. to a long-term presence in Iraq before the next president takes office.

White House officials believe the agreement won’t rise to the level of a treaty and won’t need Senate approval, a position that also has provoked criticism from Democrats on Capitol Hill.

Officials say the talks will focus on two deals. One, known as a strategic framework agreement, will provide a blueprint for diplomatic, economic and security relations based on mutual sovereignty. The other, known as a status of forces agreement, will provide a legal basis for the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq after the U.N. mandate expires Dec. 31.

The two sides have released few details about what they hope to get out of the deals, which are being negotiated behind closed doors.

U.S. officials have said they will not seek the same blanket protections currently enjoyed by private security contractors in Iraq, nor will they necessarily ask for the same freedom to conduct military operations whenever they choose that they have now. But they will want to preserve the right to pursue terror suspects here.