Civil war has not erupted in Iraq, US President George W Bush said today on the third anniversary of the US-led invasion.
Washington has resisted setting a timetable for withdrawal from the country, but officials have said a substantial pullout could start later this year. However, Mr Bush said he still expected a US military presence by the time his term ends in 2009.
Asked when all US forces would finally pull out of Iraq, Mr Bush told a White House news conference: "That will be decided by future presidents and future governments of Iraq."
As Mr Bush addressed Americans' concerns on Iraq, Iraqis voiced new complaints about alleged killings of civilians by US troops.
He also dismissed comments from former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi that sectarian violence constituted civil war, saying it was a good sign that an attack a month ago on a Shi'ite shrine in Samarra failed to spark all-out conflict.
"The way I look at it, the Iraqis took a look and decided not to give in to civil war," Mr Bush said.
Despite grim images on television screens of death and mayhem, Mr Bush remained upbeat. "I'm optimistic we'll succeed. If not, I'd pull our troops out. If I didn't believe we had a plan for victory, I wouldn't leave our people in harm's way."