Iraq's transitional prime minister called Wednesday for a coordinated withdrawal of U.S. troops. Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said at a joint news conference with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld that the time has arrived to plan a coordinated transition from American to Iraqi military control throughout the country. When asked how soon a U.S. withdrawal should happen, al-Jaafari said no exact timetable had been set. "But we confirm and we desire speed in that regard," he said, speaking through a translator. "And this fast pace has two aspects." First, there must be a quickening of the pace of U.S. training of Iraqi security forces, and second there must be closely coordinated planning between the U.S.-led military coalition and the emerging Iraq government on a security transition, al-Jaafari said. "We do not want to be surprised by a withdrawal that is not in connection with our Iraqi timing," al-Jaafari was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.
