Presidency Council Approves U.S. Troop Agreement

Iraq's presidency council gave final approval to a security pact with the United States that will govern American troop presence in the country for three more years, the Voice of America News reports.

The pact "will help solidify Iraq's democratic gains and affirm Iraq's sovereignty," said a White House spokeswoman.

The agreement came after months of negotiations and many concessions by Washington, including a clause that the U.S. will not use Iraq as a base for launching...