Paul Bremer, chief U.S. administrator in Iraq has said he wants to accelerate the handover of authority to Iraqis.
Bremer told a news conference in the capital of Baghdad his goal was to give Iraqis a "path and a timeline" for the transfer of power from the U.S.-led coalition.
In addition, Bremer promised to speed up the training of Iraqi soldiers and police to respond to ongoing attacks.
On Saddam, Bremer said he believed the former Iraqi leader was alive in Iraq, and catching or killing him was a "top priority".
Moreover, Bremer said he had no clear indication that the toppled Iraqi leader was behind the recent wave of attacks in Iraq.
The top administrator said the coalition was going "to turn sovereignty to the Iraqi people as quickly as practicable", the BBC reported.
He offered no specific date, but said that by September of next year, more than 200,000 Iraqis would be involved in the defence of their country.
"It is essential that they (Iraqis) take an essential role in their own defence. This is after all their country, it is their future." (Albawaba.com)
