Rumsfeld offers no concessions

2005-11-20 20:31

Washington - Secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld said on Sunday the US administration would make no concessions to the growing number of critics of US action in Iraq.

He insisted that the number of US troops in Iraq would be reduced back to about 138 000 after Iraq's December 15 elections and remain at that level until US commanders have firm evidence that Iraqi security forces are capable of managing the security situation.

"The (US) president has said, General Casey has said, I have said repeatedly what the arrangements are, and the arrangements are that the passover of responsibility to the Iraqis will be condition based," Rumsfeld said.

"It will depend on what takes place on the ground," Rumsfeld underlined.

"We currently have about 159 000 troops in Iraq, we plan to bring that down to 137 000-138 000 after the elections which has been our base line.

"We're bulked up right now because of the elections coming up December 15," he said.

Rumsfeld asserted that any withdrawal of American forces from the war-torn country will only happen when the security situation improves despite some political calls in Washington for an early troop pullout.

- AFP