Biden vows to follow Iraq wishes on troop pullout

BAGHDAD — Vice President Joe Biden pledged Thursday to follow Iraq's wishes should Baghdad decide to speed up the timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from the country.

Speaking to reporters in Baghdad before heading to northern Iraq to meet with Kurdish leaders, Biden said, however, that there were still a number of steps that would have to be taken before Iraq could call a referendum to alter the so-called "status of forces" agreement.

The agreement currently calls for the withdrawal of American combat forces by the end of August 2010 and all U.S. troops by the end of the following year.

Parliament approved the agreement in November on condition that it is put to a vote in a national referendum. The Iraqi government has agreed to hold the referendum in conjunction with parliamentary elections in January. If voters reject the agreement in the referendum, U.S. forces would have a year to withdraw instead of by the end of 2011.

Biden, the White House's point man in Iraq, said upon his arrival in Baghdad on Tuesday that Iraqi leaders had indicated to him that the referendum was "likely to happen," but added the caveat, "I'm not sure it's settled yet."

"Whatever the Iraqi people decide, we will abide by it," Biden told reporters Thursday.

Biden is on a three-day trip to Iraq, his third this year, and has been meeting with local leaders to discuss issues including bridging lingering political and sectarian differences and plans for January's national elections.

Following meetings with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday, Biden said the two had talked about the agreement governing the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, but he did not elaborate and took no questions.

Biden had lunch with American troops at Camp Liberty on Thursday before heading north for meetings with Kurdish officials.