Iraqi political leaders were unable to meet a self-imposed deadline this weekend to decide whether to request U.S. troops stay beyond a planned end-of-the-year withdrawal, lawmakers told CNN.
The deadline imposed by President Jalal Talabani passed over the weekend with lawmakers divided over how or even whether to request an extension, raising questions about when Iraq may ask and whether it will be too late to turn around withdrawing troops.
"The country is almost paralyzed because of this decision whether Iraq will decide to keep some American troops after 2011 or not," said Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman, a close political ally of Talabani.
More here: Iraq's self-imposed deadline passes without decision on U.S. troops - CNN.com