Muqtada Al-Sadr stated that the Iraqi foreign minister's initialing of the Iraq-U.S. security agreement yesterday, at an official ceremony with the U.S. ambassador to Baghdad, was a mark of shame and disgrace, and called on the Iraqi parliament to reject the agreement without hesitation.

An MP from the Iraqi Islamic party, Abd Al-Karim Al-Sammarai, wondered whether the initialing was aimed at pressuring the parliament, which has not yet decided on the pact, or at hinting to it that its decision is meaningless.

Source: Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, November 17, 2008