TEHRAN – The Iraqi government spokesman has strongly denied reports that Washington and Baghdad have agreed to extend the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq for another five years.

In an interview with Fars news agency in Baghdad, Ali al-Dabbagh dismissed rumors published in some Iraqi media outlets claiming that Iraq and the U.S. have signed a confidential agreement to extend presence of U.S. forces in Iraq.
“The report is completely false and no agreement has been signed with the U.S. so far in this regard,” al-Dabbagh said.
Dabbagh said, “If there was such an agreement, the government would have immediately informed the Iraqi parliament and people” of the issue.
Last week, the Iraqi Al-Nakhil News Agency quoted an official as claiming that a secret security agreement had been signed between a senior U.S. official and a representative of the Iraqi government which is aimed at extending U.S. military presence in five Iraqi provinces until 2016.
The media claimed the deal had been signed without the endorsement of the Iraqi parliament under the pretext that it is merely an agreement at embassy level and not related to national priorities.