US troops in Iraq 'may have to halt operations'

THE US Defence Secretary today gave warning of "dramatic consequences" if Washington and Baghdad failed to agree a security deal for American forces in Iraq.

Robert Gates said if there were no "status of forces agreement", the US would have to "basically stop doing anything". Iraq's cabinet is demanding changes to a draft deal agreed with Washington that would allow US forces to stay in Iraq until 2011.

Mr Gates said that the US had "great reluctance" to renegotiate. "I don't think you slam the door shut, but I would say it's pretty far closed," he said. "The consequences of not having Status of Forces Agreement and of not having a renewed UN authorisation are pretty dramatic."

Failure to finalise the agreement or renew a UN mandate would mean US operations would have to be suspended. The UN mandate for US-led coalition forces expires at the end of the year.

The security deal was presented last week after months of US-Iraq talks. But yesterday the Iraqi government said the cabinet had "agreed that necessary amendments to the pact could make it nationally accepted". The required changes were not specified.