Iraq: At least 10 dead in blast
A car bomb killed 10 people and injured some 30 others when it went off outside a car dealership in the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar, Iraqi police said on Saturday. The U.S. military confirmed the death toll, but said initial estimates of the wounded put their numbers at 20.
According to Reuters, the U.S. statement added that the car bomb was driven by a suicide bomber, but Iraqi police said the car was parked.
Meanwhile, a senior aide to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Saturday American and Iraqi negotiators have agreed on a draft of a security pact that would allow American troops to stay in Iraq for three more years.
According to the AP, the aide said the draft agreement could be put to a Cabinet vote in an emergency meeting Sunday or Monday. Transport Minister Amir Abdul-Jabbar said he had been notified by the Cabinet secretariat that a Cabinet meeting was scheduled for Sunday to vote on the agreement.
In Washington, National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe described the final document on the security pact as beneficial to the allied nations. "We think this is a good document that serves both Iraqis and Americans well. We remain hopeful that the Iraqi government will conclude this process soon," Johndroe said Saturday.