At least 12 people have been killed in a double bombing targeting the Iraqi city of Tikrit. Twenty-eight others were wounded. The Iraqi government, meanwhile, has signaled new support for a prolonged U.S. occupation. Iraq’s Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, says U.S. forces need to stay beyond the scheduled 2011 withdrawal date in order to train the Iraqi military. Fewer than 200 active-duty troops are supposed to remain in Iraq after December 31 if the two countries do not reach an agreement. However, the United States has offered to keep as many as 10,000 troops if the Iraqi government makes a request.