HOLY NAJAF, Iraq: Iraq’s Al-Marjay Al-Aala Sayed Ali Al-Husseini As-Sistani set a series of conditions necessary for Iraq to consider any strategic arrangement with the United States.

Sayed Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, chief of Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, after meeting with the Ayatullah in Holy Najaf, relayed four points concerning the strategic framework characterizing the U.S. military presence in Iraq following the expiration of a U.N. mandate in 2009.

"The Ayatullah stressed that any long-term pact in Iraq should maintain four key terms including safeguarding Iraqis' interests, national sovereignty, national consensus and being presented to the Iraqi parliament for approval," Hakim said.

The Bush administration established a July 31 deadline for the Iraqi Parliament to sign onto the agreement.

Karbala’s Ayatullah Mohamed Al-Modaresy, warned that the US-Iraq security pact might cause an uprising in Iraq. Al-Modaresy described the long-term treaty with the US as a "sword directed over the Iraqis necks," during a meeting with reporters.