Foreign forces should pullout from Iraq by the end of next year to, former Australian defense force chief General Peter Cosgrove said.
"I think we've got to train the Iraqis as quickly as we can and to a point where we take one of the focal points of terrorist motivation away, and that is foreign troops," said Cosgrove, who retired from the top military post a month ago.
"When there is an adequate Iraqi security force, foreign troops leave ... Iraq," said Cosgrove, according to Reuters. Asked how quickly Australian troops should leave, he said: "Well, I figure that if we could get that done by the end of 2006 that would be really good."
Meanwhile, a meeting of Iraq's political leaders to discuss issues blocking agreement on a new constitution was postponed for a day Monday because of a severe sandstorm, President Jalal Talabani's office announced.
Iraqi political leaders were on late Sunday in marathon negotiations seeking to overcome obstacles blocking deal on the new charter, one week ahead of the deadline for its completion.
President Talabani, who hosted a first round of constitution talks at his Baghdad home, expressed optimism that leaders from the Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish communities could reach agreement in time for parliament to approve the charter by the Aug. 15 deadline.
Participants said the 2 1/2-hour meeting Sunday produced no breakthroughs, and Sunni Arabs repeated their opposition to transforming Iraq into a federal state, The AP reported.
