Iraq Al Qaida-linked group calls Bush's plan a defeat

Baghdad & Washington: An Iraqi militant group linked to Al Qaida dismissed President George W. Bush's new strategy in Iraq as proof of a US defeat, an Internet statement said.

Bush said on Wednesday he was sending about 21,000 more American troops to Iraq when he announced his long-awaited new strategy in the Arab country racked by sectarian fighting.

"What we hear in the media about a so-called security plan in Baghdad and Bush's new strategy, will not change anything. They are tasting the bitterness of defeat after announcing to limit their troops to Baghdad instead of all around Iraq," the so-called Islamic state in Iraq group said in the Web posting.

Iraqi Sunni militant groups announced in October the creation of what they described as an Islamic state in Iraq.

"We say that these announcements are a declaration of defeat and an attempt to escape from Iraq, to send more troops will not change anything in the battle. On the contrary the crusaders will not win this battle, they instead spread targets for our Mujahideen (fighters)."

The United States has about 130,000 troops in Iraq now. The authenticity of the statement could not be immediately verified.

Last week, the group urged its followers to confront a US-backed security plan in Baghdad announced by Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, saying it was an Iranian ploy to hit Sunni Muslims.

Meanwhile, Syria insists it is cooperating on Iraqi security. The Syrian government renewed its assurances in Washington on Friday that it was cooperating with Iraq on strengthening security along their mutual border, but accused the United States of failing to follow suit.

"Contrary to arguments circulating in the media and political circles, Syria has cooperated, and continues to cooperate, on securing and stabilising the situation in Iraq," the Syrian Embassy said in a statement.