Iraq´s vice president calls for "scheduled" pullout of U.S. troops

Source: Xinhuanet | 12-21-2006 09:30

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi on Tuesday called for a scheduled pullout of U.S. troops from his war-torn country.

"I am calling for a scheduled withdrawal of American troops," the vice president told reporters at the UN headquarters after he met with outgoing UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

But Hashemi added that the American withdrawal should come only after Iraq's security forces have become capable of taking on the country's security issues by themselves.

"We work closely with the Americans who want their soldiers home. But withdrawal cannot come before the Iraqi forces are capable of handling the situation on their own," he said.

Hashemi also called on the United Nations to play a greater role in promoting reconciliation between Iraq's rivalry Shiite and Sunni parties.

The UN "should be on the front in helping Iraqis in fact to get things together, especially between the Shiite and the Sunnis," he said.

Editor:Du Xiaodan