MIXED PROSPECT FOR U.S. TROOPS
Some contentious details, such as the duration and size of the military forces, as well as whether the soldiers could enjoy immunity, still need further negotiations, an Iraqi observer said.
Washington was reported to leave a maximum of 10,000 soldiers in Iraq to train local security forces, but some American officials were quoted as saying the size might be between 8,000 and 15,000 troops.
It was no doubt that the United States will maintain some of its military forces in Iraq to control the oil-rich country in the name of either training Iraqi forces or protecting its embassy, Baghdad University professor Shaikh told Xinhua.
But according to other analysts, it's too early to predict the final result.
The possibility of the end of the U.S. combat mission remains now as it is far away from reaching the final deal, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mahmoud Al-Zibari said after the third-round meeting.
The anti-U.S. Sadrists and several Sunni extremists would never give up, Shaikh said.
According to some Iraqi experts, the social and political situation in Iraq would not be completely changed despite the long-term stay of U.S. military troops.
Special Report: Situation in Iraq
