Small Iraqi party says it will not support US pact

BAGHDAD (AP) -- A small Shiite party said Wednesday that a U.S.-Iraqi security pact allowing American troops to stay in Iraq for three more years infringes on Iraqi sovereignty, and vowed to vote against the deal in parliament.

Even without the support of the Fadhila party's 15 lawmakers, the agreement is likely to be approved when the 275-seat parliament votes Nov. 24. The political parties that comprise Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's ruling coalition dominate the legislature, and his Cabinet approved the deal with Washington on Sunday.

The complaints of the Fadhila party, however, reflect unease among some Iraqis about a continuing U.S. presence in their country after years of war, even if a clear timetable for their withdrawal is laid out in the deal.

The largely Basra-based Fadhila party complained that it had not been kept informed of developments during months of negotiations. It also cited alleged ambiguities in the agreement and questioned the commitment of the United States to help rid Iraq of billions of dollars it owes in loans dating from the rule of dictator Saddam Hussein.

The party has been at odds with parliament's main Shiite bloc, which it quit last year to protest its alleged exclusion from policy decisions.

"We cannot vote in favor of the security agreement," said Hassan al-Shimari, a senior Fadhila lawmaker.

Another group, the bloc loyal to Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, opposes the agreement. It has about 30 seats in parliament, which was due to have a second reading of the security agreement later Wednesday in the run-up to the vote.

Al-Maliki went on national television Tuesday to defend the agreement. He acknowledged that he had "reservations" on the pact, but said it paved the way for the restoration of Iraq's full sovereignty after the last U.S. soldier leaves Iraq at the end of 2011.

If the agreement is approved by parliament, it will then go to the president and his two deputies for ratification. Each one of them -- President Jalal Talabani and vice presidents Adel Abdul-Mahdi and Tariq al-Hashemi -- has the power to veto the agreement.

Also Wednesday, the U.S. military said Iraqi security forces arrested an alleged senior member of Iran's elite security forces suspected of funneling arms into Iraq.

It said police detained the man, who authorities allege is a member of the Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds force from Iran, at Baghdad International Airport on Tuesday while he was trying to leave the country.

The suspect was working for an organization allegedly tied to the Quds force that uses the construction and repair of religious sites in Iraq as cover to funnel arms into the country "in legitimate shipments of building materials," the military said.

The U.S. said the arms were destined for an extremist group in Iraq.

Washington has accused Iran of training and arming Shiite extremist groups in Iraq and fueling the insurgency. Tehran denies the charges.

The arrest follows Iran's surprisingly positive position on the U.S.-Iraqi security pact, which it had bitterly opposed. The apparent shift in policy could reflect their recognition that the agreement contains a firm timetable for American withdrawal, as well as Tehran's hopes for better relations with the United States after President-elect Barack Obama takes office in January.

At the insistence of Iraq, where most Shiite leaders have strong ties to Iran, the agreement prohibits the Americans from using Iraq to launch attacks against its neighbors, like longtime U.S. adversaries Iran and Syria.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)