US plans to start pullout in December

The US military is looking at December to begin handing over security responsibilities to Iraqi military and security forces, according to a classified document.

The document is said to be circulating among senior military officers.

If true, this will be the first time that a date has been set for scaling back the American military presence in Iraq, and will illustrate American confidence that the development of Iraq's security forces is proceeding as planned.

During his press conference last week, however, US President George Bush said no timetable would be set for withdrawing American troops, preferring 'a victory strategy' to an exit strategy.

The reported proposal envisages a gradual pullout after the planned election of a five-year parliament in December, starting by ending US military patrols.

According to US sources, Iraqi security forces is staggered as follows: police, 87,000, the army has 72,500 troops.

Additionally, 19,000 are being trained for various security, police and investigative bureaus.

American military officers confirmed that the withdrawal document had been circulated.

The source emphasised that it was intended as "prudent planning, and no one up the chain of command is pushing to complete the work at hand faster or compromise already developed processes to meet some arbitrary timeline."

Despite growing US military confidence in the Iraqi security forces in recent months, with army and police units conducting independent operations, Iraqi officials express doubt. Mowaffak Al Rubaie, Iraq's chief security adviser, told American news outfits that larger withdrawals would not take place until the middle of next year.

The wave of attacks that followed the announcement last week of the composition of the new government after three months of negotiations further complicates the challenge to establish a timetable for US troop withdrawal.

Still, the Pentagon is signalling optimism. American troops, which formerly described their role as training Iraqi units, now call it "mentoring" them.

This involves Iraqi forces conducting their own missions, often accompanied by British advisers and US.

Meanwhile, the US continues to get help from its only reliable ally.

Last month Jack Straw, the British Foreign Secretary, said he expected British troops to start withdrawing from Iraq next year, a move that will fit in with the proposed American timetable.

But for that to happen the rise in anti-American attacks will have to be halted and elections in December conducted as planned.

The writer is an Arab journalist based in Washington.