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.

The aide said he thought the group’s recommendations would lead to a “revision” in strategy but not a “drastic change".

He also said government emissaries due to visit neighbouring nations to explore the possibility of convening a regional conference on Iraq were expected to leave in the next few days.

Falah Shanshal, a Shiite lawmaker who is a member of the bloc loyal to radical anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, said it is up to Iraqis to solve their own problems and the country can stand on its own.

Lt Gen Wafiq al-Samarraie, security adviser to President Jalal Talabani said on the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera TV station that the 2008 pull-out date was realistic, adding that “even an earlier date would be good if appropriate measures are taken beforehand".