The United States and Britain circulated a draft UN Security Council resolution last night authorising the US-led force in Iraq to stay there until the end of next year.
Council diplomats predicted the measure would be approved in the next week or two - well before the December 31st expiration of the current mandate of the force, which now numbers about 175,000 troops.
Washington and London drafted the measure after Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari wrote the council requesting the extension and acknowledged Baghdad's own troops were not yet strong enough to provide security on their own.
The draft complied with Mr Jaafari's request that his government be given the right to terminate the mandate before the end of 2006 if it chose to do so.
It also granted his request the council be required to review the new mandate eight months after its approval or at any other time if asked to do so by Baghdad.
The force is dominated by the United States, with some 150,000 troops. Britain has about 9,000 soldiers in Iraq.
Under the timetable for a transition to democracy in Iraq, set out in a June 2004 Security Council resolution, Iraqis are to have an elected sovereign government in place by the start of 2006. A new constitution was approved in an October 15th referendum, and parliamentary elections are set for December 15th.
Outside forces will continue to be allowed take and hold prisoners in Iraq.