No return:

On the last day of this year, the United Nations Security Council resolution authorising US troops in Iraq will expire. Before then, the United States and Iraq will have to agree on new terms for the US engagement there if it is to continue legally. Under no circumstances should the Bush administration make a commitment to a continuing US role in Iraq’s defence without getting the two-thirds approval from the Senate.

What the proposal says about any US security guarantee for Iraq is unclear. This week, Representative William Delahunt held a hearing to learn more about the direction of the negotiations, but all four top administration officials he had invited, including Lute, declined to attend. In the past, the US has concluded, without Senate approval, numerous “status of force” agreements with other countries.

Critics of an administration commitment to Iraq without congressional approval fear that such a compact would still limit the options of a future president. Any attempt to withdraw US forces and leave Iraqi security in that country’s hands could prompt accusations, both in Baghdad and in Washington. If the administration wants its compact with Iraq to do anything more than state the status of US forces there, it should count on seeking Senate ratification. — The Boston Globe