US Defense Secretary said that Iraq had consensus on extended presence of US occupation troops beyond 2011. However Baghdad denied it took such a decision, saying the issue was still under negotiations.

US Defense Secretary said that Iraq had consensus on extended presence of US occupation troops beyond 2011. However Baghdad denied it took such a decision, saying the issue was still under negotiations.

Leon Panetta said the Iraqis had made up their mind to extend the presence of American troops beyond the year-end withdrawal deadline.
"My view is that they finally did say, 'Yes,'" Panetta said in an interview with two US newspapers.
The Defense Chief told Stars and Stripes and the Military Times there was a consensus among Iraqi leaders to “hammer out what type of US training force would be needed”, select a defense minister, draft a new security agreement and step up operations against Iranian-backed militants.

For its part, the Iraqi premier's office promptly rejected Panetta's account.
"We have not yet agreed on the issue of keeping training forces," Ali Mussawi, media advisor to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, told AFP after Panetta's remarks.
"The negotiations are ongoing, and these negotiations have not been finalized," he said.

NEWSPAPER, PENTAGON PLAYS DOWN PANETTA’S REMARKS
On the other hand, and after Panetta’s remarks, Stars and Stripes “clarified” its initial story to say that Iraq has agreed to negotiate an extended U.S. presence.

Pentagon spokesman George Little also said: "The Secretary was asked if there had been progress in our discussions with the Iraqi government since his visit six weeks ago. He made clear that the Iraqis have said yes to discussions about the strategic relationship beyond 2011, and what that relationship might look like".

Some resistance figures in Iraq, like Sayyed Moqtada Sadr, had warned that any extension of the US forces presence would be considered as a new occupation and would be faced by resistance.