US officials claim they are not abandoning efforts to negotiate an agreement on the future of US forces in Iraq. They have acknowledged Iraqi proposals for changes to the draft agreement and acknowledge some changes may be possible. According to White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, US negotiators in Baghdad may communicate their response to Iraqi officials this week, suggesting some of the Iraqi requests could be accepted, but cautioned that there may be others that the US would be unwilling to support. US officials have not confirmed what the requests actually are. News reports, however, suggest that a firm date for US troop withdrawal is one of the items the Iraqis are seeking. US officials are eager to acquiesce full responsibility for security to the Iraqis, according to Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman. Whitman cautioned that this couldn’t be done on a timetable, however. Whitman elaborated that it is in the interest of both countries to turn over security functions to the Iraqis as soon as the Iraqis are ready. The US insists that while timelines work as goals, it is unwise to commit to a timeline firmly, and that final decisions have to take into account conditions on the ground.