Without admitting a need for continued U.S. military presence in Iraq or that he would prefer American troops stay past a Dec. 31 withdrawal date, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki backtracked from previous statements against mission extension and opened the door to such discussions. He now says he will only ask for an extension if there is strong support across Iraq’s political blocs. Meanwhile, light violence left two Iraqis dead and 16 wounded across central and northern Iraq.