ON BOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT (AFP) - Washington and Baghdad are nearing a deal on the future presence of US troops in Iraq next year, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday. "I am actually reasonably optimistic we will come to closure on this in a very near future," Gates told reporters returning on a flight from a five-day trip to Europe. The accord, dubbed the Status of Forces Agreement, is to put in place a deal for the future status of US troops in Iraq after the UN Security Council mandate for the multinational force expires on December 31. Both US and Iraqi leaders have stressed that a deal is in the works. But they have differed over some issues such as granting immunity to US soldiers for acts...
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