WASHINGTON (AFP) — The White House Thursday hailed Iraq's presidency council giving its blessing to a landmark security pact with the United States, saying it put relations on a "strong footing."
"They recognize that they're going to continue to need our help for the next little while," said spokeswoman Dana Perino, adding, "we have a path now for helping our troops get home."
"Today is a remarkable achievement for both of our countries," said Perino, who told reporters that US President George W. Bush would welcome the decision in a written statement later in the day.
The next step for final approval is an exchange of diplomatic notes, which will bring the accord into force by January 1, replacing the UN mandate for the US military presence, the spokeswoman said.
The pact help to "guide our relationship with Iraq, to help solidify Iraq's democratic gains that they've made over the past few years, affirm Iraq's sovereignty, ad put its relations with the United States on a strong footing," said Perino.
Asked whether Iraq might reject the controversial pact -- which calls for American combat troops to withdraw by the end of 2011 -- in a national referendum, Perino said Iraq was a sovereign country and "they could decide to do lots of different things" if they vote.
The pact was made possible in part by dramatic improvements in security over the past year, with US and Iraqi forces now largely containing the chaos that erupted after the 2003 US-led invasion and the toppling of Saddam Hussein.
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