Status of Forces Agreements

The United States has been party to multilateral and bilateral agreements addressing the status of U.S. armed forces while present in a foreign country. These agreements, commonly referred to as Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs), generally establish the framework under which U.S. military personnel operate in a foreign country. The agreement provides for rights and privileges of covered individuals while in the foreign jurisdiction, addressing how the domestic laws of the foreign jurisdiction shall be applied to U.S. personnel while in that country. This book examines how SOFAs have been utilised; the congressional issues of the U.S.-Iraq withdrawal/Status of Forces agreement and congressional oversight and related issues concerning international security agreements concluded by the United States.