Howells warns of withdrawal

Foreign Office minister Kim Howells has revealed that Iraqi soldiers and the police force will be ready to take over the country from coalition troops in under a year.In what appears to be the shortest time estimate yet, Mr Howells said he would be surprised if the Iraqi security forces had not taken over by that time.He said: "I would have thought that certainly in a year or so there will be adequately trained Iraqi soldiers and security forces - police men and women and so on - in order to do the job."I would be very surprised if there was not that kind of capacity taking on a lot of the work done by the coalition forces."He also said the end result is a "sustainable democracy" in Iraq but warned there would be a "big conflict" between the democratically elected government and the self-appointed militias.His assessment comes after US President George W Bush met with senior US military commanders to discuss a possible change in tactics in Iraq.He said he would "make every necessary change" in tactics to try to control the continuing violence out there.Mr Bush said: "Our tactics are constantly changing."I talk to our generals who are in charge of these operations, and my message to them is, whatever you need, we'll give you, and whatever tactics you think work on the ground, you put in place."Seventy four American troops have died so far in what has been considered the deadliest month for US forces in nearly two years.

ITN | October 22, 2006

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