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Shiite Bloc's Demands Stall U.S.-Iraq Pact
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In addition, he said, Iraq should have the right to search U.S. military shipments to ensure they do "not include any weapons of mass destruction that could threaten Iraq's neighbors in the future."
He did not elaborate, but neighboring Iran has strongly opposed the U.S. presence in Iraq, arguing that it could be used to launch a cross-border attack.
The United Iraqi Alliance includes politicians close to Shiite-dominated Iran. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, said recently that Iran was conducting a "full-court press" to torpedo the agreement, and that intelligence reports indicated Iranians were trying to bribe Iraqi lawmakers. Maliki indignantly denied the charge. The concerns voiced by Shiite lawmakers represent a significant stumbling block in what many U.S. and Iraqi officials anticipate will be a contentious process that could take weeks -- if it succeeds at all.
"We continue to be in discussion with the Iraqis and the Iraqis continue to discuss this amongst themselves," said Susan Ziadeh, a spokeswoman at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. "That's to be expected. We'll see where these discussions lead."
Maliki postponed a visit Tuesday to Australia because of the intense discussions on the security agreement, his office said.
Lawmakers aligned with Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr are the most vocal critics of any agreement that would extend the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq. They control 30 seats in the 275-seat parliament, while the Shiite bloc has 85. Thousands of Sadr's supporters marched in a demonstration in Baghdad on Saturday to denounce the accord.
The Kurdish bloc, which has 54 seats, supports a deal. Leaders of Sunni groups have not publicly expressed a strong opinion for or against the proposed agreement, saying they need time to examine it.
Special correspondent Qais Mizher contributed to this report.
