US troops may have to stay in Iraq until 2006 to fully secure the country they invaded in March, a top US general said last night.
Lieutenant General Thomas Metz, commander of the 3rd Corps, said there could be two more yearly troop rotations until newly trained Iraqi forces are ready to take over.
"We're engaged in the long term to be successful here," Metz told reporters in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.
"The current pace of success leads me to believe we could have an end state of (another) rotation or two."
About half of the 60,000-strong 3rd Corps is in Iraq under the command of the 5th Corps. The 3rd Corps will take over command next April.
Metz's remarks came one day after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution asking nations to aid Iraqi reconstruction and mandates a US-led multinational force to restore order in a land plagued by lawlessness and bloodshed since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam in April.
It also calls on Iraqi leaders to draw up a plan by December 15 for a new constitution and elections.
US forces in Iraq have been coming under increasing guerrilla attacks since the war ended. New attacks on Thursday and yesterday raised to 101 the American death toll from hostile action in Iraq since US President George W. Bush declared major combat over on May 1st.
General Metz's comments were in line with those of the commander of US ground forces in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, who said earlier this month it would take years before Iraq was able to maintain security without backup.
Plans are in place for a second force of US troops to replace those currently serving in Iraq next spring, about a year after Saddam's overthrow.
The size of a third rotation of US troops will depend on diplomatic efforts, General Metz said. Washington is trying to persuade other countries to contribute troops to stabilise Iraq.