There appears to be progress on a deal to pull American forces out of Iraq.

Two Baghdad government officials say the deal would have all U.S. combat troops out by October 2010, with the rest gone about three years later. However, a U.S. official suggests the 2010 date may be too ambitious.

A timetable is part of a security agreement being negotiated by U.S. and Iraqi officials. Both sides stress the deal is not final and could fall apart over the issue of legal immunity for American troops.

One of the U.S. officials said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had a long and "very difficult" telephone conversation Wednesday in which she pressed the Iraqi leader for more flexibility, particularly on immunity.