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May 12, 2011

Maliki: U.S. Troops Could Stay Beyond Deadline in Iraq 
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Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has left open the possibility of an
extended U.S. occupation beyond the withdrawal deadline for later this
year. On Wednesday, Maliki said he will meet with Iraqi leaders to see
if there is support for extending the occupation. The Pentagon has
reportedly given Maliki a deadline of several weeks to decide whether to
request a prolonged U.S. stay. There are currently some 46,000 U.S.
troops in Iraq on nearly 70 bases, in addition to tens of thousands of
private contractors.



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