Shi'ite politician: Iraqis reject US proposals for new security agreement

One of Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite politicians has come out against many of the US proposals for a long-term security agreement. Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim says unspecified points would "violate Iraq's national sovereignty" and no agreement has been reached. Al-Hakim leads the main Shi'ite political bloc in Iraq, the United Iraqi Alliance. His comments Thursday follow a call by anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr for protests against the negotiations. Aides say Shiite spiritual leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani also has reservations about the deal. The agreement is supposed to be finished by July to replace the UN mandate overseeing US-led troops in Iraq. US officials have declined to comment on the negotiations.