In other Iraq news, the White House acknowledged Wednesday it has received the Iraqi government’s proposed revisions to a pact that would keep US troops in Iraq for at least three more years. The Iraqi cabinet wants the US to pledge it won’t use Iraq as a staging ground for attacking other Middle East nations. Iraq also wants the right to inspect incoming US military shipments and is seeking more legal authority over US troops accused of crimes. At a White House meeting with Kurdistan Regional President Massoud Barzani, President Bush said he has received Iraq’s proposed changes.

President Bush: “We talked about the progress on the election law and on the hydrocarbon law. But we also talked about the Status of Forces Agreement, called the SOFA. President Barzani has been a very strong advocate of the Iraqi government passing the SOFA, and I appreciate that. I informed the President we received amendments today from the government. We’re analyzing those amendments. We obviously want to be — we want to be helpful and constructive without undermining basic principles, and I remain very hopeful and confident that the SOFA will get passed.”

The White House has already threatened Iraq with shutting down vital services unless it accepts the troop deal and has said further revisions are unlikely.