Declaring that Iraq will likely still need American troops to fight terrorism for two more years, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani was quoted Sunday as saying that it is up to the United States to decide when to leave the beleaguered country. Talabani had said in an earlier interview that the United States could start withdrawing as many as 50,000 troops by the end of the year, raising eyebrows in Washington. He clarified those comments in an interview with the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. "What I have said is that the United State can start withdrawing tens of thousands of its forces next year, but it is up to the United States to decide," Talabani said. "I am not the commander of the U.S. forces." "We still need the American troops to stay for many reasons: to train our forces and to fight terrorism," he told the paper in an interview from New York, where he is attending the U.N. General Assembly. U.S. President George W. Bush has refused to set a deadline for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, Talabani said he hoped the Iraqi security forces would soon be up to the level of taking responsibility from the Americans. "I believe that it is now time for the Iraqis to be in the forefront in fighting terrorism and the Americans will be in the rear to be recalled when needed," he was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. Talabani's comments came as Iraq prepares for a referendum next month on the country's new constitution.
