New US Iraq commander says may need 3 years

Baghdad, Jan 8: The new commander of US combat forces in Iraqsaid on Sunday it may take two to three years to meet American goalsbut that an increasingly independent Iraqi government may change the USrole there within a year.

Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, who took up the second rankingUS military post in Iraq a month ago, told reporters the Americanpublic would need patience to see a stable Iraq but also said he hopedIraqi troops could be in control of Baghdad within months after a newoperation mounted with US help.

Speaking ahead of Washington's expected announcement of a newapproach in Iraq, Odierno said: ''The mission now is to defeat the ...insurgency and to train Iraqi security forces.

''Over time we can accomplish the mission. That time I put two orthree years from now. The issue becomes are we willing to wait two orthree years or do we want to speed it up?'' He said: ''It takespatience and it takes time ... Unfortunately what we're starting toshow some lack of is patience ... I think it's too important not tohave patience.'' Among constraints, he said, was a possibility theIraqi government would in December change the United Nations mandateunder which the United States has charge of Iraq's security.

Saying Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had nearly changed the annualmandate last month, Odierno said: ''They almost did it this time and Ithink by next December there's a good potential that could happen ...They more and more want to move toward independence and so they mightput some conditions on it.

Asked if that could even mean a US withdrawal, he replied: ''Idon't know. That all depends.'' US commanders have said they hope tocomplete a transition to Iraqi control of all of Iraq's 18 provincesand of its army by this autumn, with U.S. troops remaining in a supportrole.

Sectarian Balance

With the rise in sectarian bloodshed between themajority Shi'ite Muslims now driving the government and SaddamHussein's once dominant Sunni Arabs, Odierno said political andeconomic measures were as necessary as military ones to bring stability.

The government needed to represent all communities and the security forces need to be rid of sectarian elements, he said.

Amid accusations of sectarian violence by Iraqi police and troops,Odierno said Americans would continue to try to ensure Iraqi commanderswere controlling their forces and maintain a presence on the ground toensure civilians were well treated.

He said Maliki, who in November publicly demanded more power oversecurity issues from Washington, and his government were still comingto grips with their task.

''They're a very new government. It's unclear to me yet what kindof government this is going to be,'' he said. ''It's unclear to me thatyou have a leader that ... is strong ... It'll be defined over time.Because you do need a strong leader.'' Many Sunnis complain Maliki hasnot done enough to curb militia killings by his fellow Shi'ites butOdierno said he had seen no evidence of government efforts to preventUS troops attacking Iranian-backed Shi'ite militia groups. Some ofthese were receiving arms, including rockets, made in Iran, he added.

US hopes were for a stable, friendly government in Iraq, Odiernosaid, but the problems of fighting insurgents meant there would be noclear end to the conflict: ''There will be no victory parade when weleave here. There never was going to be.'' Washington would not,however, count it a success if stability was achieved by a newdictatorship: ''We cannot tolerate that in my mind, but we're going tohave to see.

''If that happens we are not successful.''

Reuters>