Source: AP

BAGHDAD - The next White House will most likely inherit the difficult negotiations over the long-term status of American military forces in Iraq as disputes linger over setting timelines for expected troop withdrawals, U.S. officials say.

U.S. negotiators once hoped to finalize the pact by the end of this month. But the goal has rapidly diminished to finding a stopgap measure by the end of the year.

It also appears increasingly likely that the final detailed agreement — spelling out everything from troop levels to taxes on the military — still could be years away, two senior U.S. officials familiar with the talks said this week.

The shrinking expectations by Washington reflect a toughening stance by the Iraqi side.

The government has not backed off demands such as a timeframe for combat troop withdrawals, and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki senses no political benefit to nailing down a long-term deal in the waning months of the Bush administration.



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