'Iraqis seek to limit US powers'
Xamar Radio
The US military presence in Iraq should be codified and brought under Iraqi government power, Iraqi Vice-President Adel Abdel-Mahdi says.

Iraq's government has asked the United State to put an end on the immunity and other infinite rights of the foreign troops there, Abdel-Mahdi told the Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat Thursday.

He said the Iraqi officials were seeking to modify the conditions since November 2003, but the former US Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld escaped to specify the 'Status of Forces' in Iraq in February 2004.

Abdel-Mahdi said the US military commander can take into custody any Iraqis and confiscate any Iraqi building and property while we can not hold any US soldier who is committed even the worst crimes.

"Even Iraqi President's order is not effective at the US checkpoints in the Iraqi government's headquarters," Abdel-Mahdi said.

Asked on Iraq-US security pact, Abdel-Mahdi said," We are discussing the draft of the security pact with the US and there is no signed agreement yet."

Speaking to Press TV on Wednesday, Deputy Speaker of Iraqi Parliament, Khalid Al-Attiya said the parliament rejects a Baghdad-Washington security pact, should it grant immunity to the US troops.

In recent weeks, Iraqi officials have overtly asked a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, while Washington seeks to give its troops a legal status there, before a UN mandate expires at the end of this year.