FACTBOX: Iraq's thorny negotiations with U.S

(Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Friday talks with the United States on a new security deal were deadlocked because of U.S. demands that infringed Iraq's sovereignty.

WHAT IS BEING NEGOTIATED?

The United States is negotiating two agreements with Iraq.

One, a "status of forces" agreement, would provide a legal basis for U.S. troops to stay in Iraq after December 31, when their United Nations mandate expires.

The second, known as a strategic framework agreement, is a broad, long-term agreement on the political, diplomatic, economic and cultural relationship between the two countries.

WHY ARE THE AGREEMENTS NEEDED?

The U.N. mandate authorizing the presence of U.S.-led forces in Iraq after the 2003 invasion expires at the end of December. The United States set a goal of completing the negotiations by the end of July 2008.

WHO IS CRITICISING THE TALKS?

U.S. and Iraqi officials began talks on the agreement in March but the negotiations quickly came under fire from various sides, ranging from anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Iraq and Iran to U.S. Congressmen.

U.S. Democrats say U.S. President George W. Bush's administration could use the agreements to tie the next president into current Iraq war policies. They have also said the Bush administration has not consulted on the agreements.

How long U.S. troops remain in Iraq is a key issue in the campaign for the November presidential election.

Many Iraqis see the agreement as a surrender of Iraq's sovereignty to an occupying force and fear it could pave the way for a permanent U.S. troop presence in the country.

Sadr has called for protests against the negotiations and said protests will continue until the government agrees to a referendum on the U.S. presence.

Iran opposes any deal between Baghdad and Washington extending the presence of U.S. troops in its neighbor.

WHAT ARE THE DETAILED POINTS OF CONTENTION?

The United States and Iraq have revealed few details of the closed-door talks and there have been conflicting reports of what the United States is seeking.

Maliki said Iraq objected to Washington's insistence on giving its troops immunity from prosecution in Iraq and freedom to conduct operations independent of Iraqi control. He said Iraq could not allow U.S. forces to detain Iraqis or allow them to "keep Iraqi skies and waters open for themselves whenever they want."

U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said last week that it was "flatly untrue" that the United States was seeking permanent bases. He also denied that Washington was seeking to control Iraqi airspace.

Maliki said Iraq rejected giving immunity to thousands of security guards and other contractors working for U.S. forces and government in Iraq. U.S. officials say legal jurisdiction and immunity from prosecution for U.S. soldiers are part of the negotiations on the status of forces agreement with Iraq, as they are in similar pacts Washington has with other countries.

Such agreements typically exempt U.S. service members from trial or imprisonment overseas.

WHAT IS THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT'S POSITION?

The Iraqi government has made clear it does not see eye-to-eye with the Bush administration on the agreements, but Maliki's comments on Friday were the strongest yet.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told al-Arabiya television this month that U.S. and Iraqi negotiators were likely to miss the July target. He said Iraq was looking into possible alternatives if it could not reach agreement with the United States on their long-term relations. He gave no details.

WHAT DOES THE U.S. SAY ABOUT THE TALKS?

U.S. officials say they respect Iraqi sovereignty and that Washington is not trying to force anything on Baghdad. They say the agreements will be transparent, have no secret provisions and will be submitted to the Iraqi parliament.

Crocker says the United States has "status of forces" agreements with around 80 countries, setting out the rights and obligations of U.S. forces operating overseas.

HOW STRONG IS IRAQ'S NEGOTIATING POSITION?

The Iraqi government's room to maneuver may be limited by its dependence on U.S. firepower to secure its borders and tackle armed groups that defy its authority. If it fails to reach agreement with Washington, Iraq could seek a further extension of the U.N. mandate.

(Reporting by Adrian Croft, Editing by Janet Lawrence)