ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — President Pervez Musharraf's spokesman today rejected reports that the embattled Pakistani leader was set to resign, even as another ally said back-channel talks were under way to avoid his impeachment.

The spokesman, Rashid Qureshi, also called claims that Musharraf was seeking legal immunity in case he did step down "nonsense."

Former army chief Musharraf dominated Pakistan for years after seizing power in a 1999 military coup, gaining favor from the United States after supporting it in the war on terror.

But his rivals won February parliamentary elections and formed a coalition that has sought to push him out of office and has already largely sidelined him. Ruling coalition officials have said an impeachment motion could reach Parliament as early as next week.

WARSAW, Poland — Poland and the United States reached an agreement Thursday to base American missile interceptors in Poland, going ahead with a plan that has angered Russia and threatened to escalate tensions with the region's communist-era master.Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the United States had agreed to help augment Poland's defenses with Patriot missiles in exchange for placing 10 missile defense interceptors in the eastern European country.Tusk said the agreement was initialed by negotiators late Thursday in Warsaw and includes a "mutual commitment" between the two nations — beyond that of NATO — to come to each other's assistance in case of danger.

BAGHDAD — Iraqi security forces are taking over checkpoints near the Iranian border that had been manned by Georgian troops until they departed for their country's conflict with Russia, the U.S. military said today.Georgia's announcement last week that it was recalling its soldiers from Iraq has forced the Americans to shuffle units to fill the vacuum.The 2,000 Georgians had been responsible for searching vehicles and people at a series of checkpoints along smuggling routes in the desert border region near Kut, 100 miles southeast of Baghdad.The former Soviet republic had been the third-largest contributor of coalition forces after the U.S. and Britain.Iraqi soldiers already have taken over traffic checkpoints and are providing security at the entrance of the Georgians' former patrol base.