Agreement on US withdrawal from Iraq said to be in peril as Maliki ousts negotiators

In the LATimes, here

"...The shake-up comes just four months before the expiration of the United Nations mandate that authorizes the U.S. troop presence in Iraq.Maliki's confidant defended the shake-up, saying the prime minister needs those closest to him to lead the talks because they have the authority to make decisions that the original team did not possess..."