Tenuous Agreement on Maintaining US Troops in Iraq

Despite the recent surge of attention to the U.S.-Iraqi negotiations over an agreement to keep U.S. troops in Iraq for years into the future, the resulting agreement or lack of agreement is likely to have little actual impact on the occupation. The negotiations are being conducted by representatives of President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki — neither of whom actually want the U.S. troops to leave (Maliki's government would not likely survive the withdrawal of U.S. troops, and Bush remains committed to permanent U.S.