At the core of these negotiations is whether the US is a liberator or occupier. A liberator respects the citizens of the country and is there temporarily. An occupier is not accountable to the country it controls through fear and intimidation. The Iraqis want accountability, law and order. The US wants freedom - to do what it feels like without being responsible to the Iraqis..

"With time running out for the conclusion of an agreement governing American forces in Iraq, nervous negotiators have begun examining alternatives that would allow U.S. troops to stay beyond the Dec. 31 deadline, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials."

Arf