BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki dug in his heels yesterday on the future of US military in Iraq, insisting that all foreign soldiers leave the country by a specific date in 2011 and rejecting legal immunity for American troops.

Al-Maliki’s aides insisted that a compromise could be found on the two main stumbling blocks to an accord, which would govern the US military presence in Iraq after the UN mandate expires at the end of the year.

Last week, US and Iraqi officials said the two sides had agreed tentatively to a schedule that includes a broad pullout of combat troops by the end of 2011 with the possibility that a residual US force might stay behind to continue training and advising the Iraqi security services.

But Al-Maliki’s remarks yesterday indicated that the Iraqi government is still not satisfied with that arrangement and wants all foreign troops gone by the end of 2011.

That cast doubt on whether an agreement is near and suggested that Al-Maliki is playing to a domestic audience.

“There can be no treaty or agreement except on the basis of Iraq’s full sovereignty,” Al-Maliki told a gathering of Shiite tribal leaders. He said any agreement must be based on the principle that “no foreign soldier remains in Iraq after a specific deadline, not an open time frame.”

Al-Maliki said the US and Iraq had already agreed on a full withdrawal of all foreign troops by the end of 2011 — an interpretation that the White House challenged. Until then, the US could not conduct military operations “without the approval” of the Iraqi government, Al-Maliki said.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said negotiations with the Iraqis were continuing and repeated the US position that the withdrawal must be linked to conditions in Iraq — a clear difference with Al-Maliki’s interpretation of what had been agreed.