2008 pullout date for US troops in Iraq 'realistic'

A close aide to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki today sought to play down the significance of any threat to reduce American economic or military support for the Iraqi government as a high-level US commission said American policy in Iraq must change.

The Maliki aide said the country had enough oil resources to survive any reduction in US economic aid and that Iraqi forces were already well on their way to taking the lead role in security operations.