American Defense Minister Leon Panetta said today that all American soldiers who will remain in Iraq during 2012 must have immunity before local authorities.
The issue of immunity has become a stumbling block between Baghdad and Washington, which are trying to reach an agreement on the retention of a smaller number of American instructors after the withdrawal of most of the troops this year.
Officials say fewer than 5.000 US military advisers will remain in Iraq at the start of next year.
Iraqis do not want any foreigners to be exempt from the jurisdiction of local laws.
"Any kind of American presence requires that American soldiers have appropriate immunity," Panetta told reporters after a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.
Violence in Iraq has declined significantly compared to the period of 2006 and 2007, when there were fierce clashes between Shiites and Sunnis, but security remains problematic today, with sporadic murders, bombings and armed attacks.
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