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Iraqi lawmakers are expected to vote on the security agreement by Wednesday, which will keep the US troops here until the end of 2011. The parliament speaker said yesterday. After hours of heated debate, speaker Mahmoud al Mashhadani announced that the vote is scheduled for Wednesday, and can be put forward provided parties in the parliament would reach an agreement on the pact. The long delayed agreement passed the Iraqi cabinet last week and went to the parliament for reviewing. The vote date was originally set for tomorrow. The security agreement will replace the UN mandate to grant US Military presence in Iraq legal status from 2009. The US has agreed to pull troops out of Iraqi cities and towns by mid-2009 and leave Iraq by the end of 2011. The Iraqi government wants the parliament to make the decision before lawmakers would set out for a pilgrimage trip to Mecca next week. |