BAGHDAD -- Iraq and the United States are close to a deal on a sensitive security agreement that Iraqi officials said on Wednesday satisfies the nation's desire to be treated as sovereign and independent.The agreement, under intense scrutiny in both countries, sets the terms for the presence of American troops in Iraq. Negotiations had stalled a month ago largely over the Bush administration's refusal to specify an intention to withdraw troops. While the current version does not specify any exact date, officials said, President Bush's recent acknowledgment that withdrawal was an "aspirational goal" has revived the talks and pushed them closer to completion.
The emerging agreement, officials said, gives Iraqis much of what they want -- most notably the guarantee that there would no longer be foreign troops visible on their land -- and leaves room for them to discreetly ask for an extended American presence should security deteriorate.