Shiite and Kurdish coalitions have agreed on a deal to divvy-up the country's
top three government posts.
The three-member Presidency Council would include Iraq's first Kurish
president (Jalal Talabani), and a Sunni and Shiite Arab as the two vice
presidents. The Kurds would get one major Cabinet post -- one fewer than they'd
wanted. But they've agreed to support a Shiite -- Ibrahim al-Jaafari -- for
prime minister.
A member of the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance says the basics of an agreement
are "almost finished." He says negotiators will meet again to finalize things
before Monday. The country's new parliament is set to meet Wednesday.
The Shiite spokesman says an agreement has also been reached to allow
ethnically mixed army units to patrol Kurdish provinces. But both Kurdish
parties deny that.
