US may miss pact deadline

WASHINGTON: The US and Iraq were unlikely to meet a July 31 deadline for completing a long-term security pact, but intensive negotiations were under way on an agreement that will help dictate the role of US forces after year-end. "I don't think that we'll be able to finalise this agreement by next Thursday, we're working towards it, but it might take a few more days after that," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. She said the agreement would include an "aspirational date" to transition the mission of American forces that have been in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion. There are currently 148,000 American troops in Iraq. But Perino said the pact with Iraq would not set specific dates for specific levels of US troops on the ground. Seperately, US Democratic presidential candidate Barrack Obama welcomed the security... [read full story]