Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said at a conference in Paris on Thursday that US-led troops would be needed for another two to three years until Iraq has built up its own security forces. “Two to three years are needed to build our security forces and say goodbye to our friends,” Talabani said in France while on a six-day visit.
President Jacques Chirac will meet with the Iraqi President, who is expected to push for closer ties with France. France has suggested announcing a schedule for a gradual pullout, which they believe would help soothe tensions in Iraq.
| It's worked so well in Lyon. |
US President George W Bush said it was hard for him to tell whether US troops would still be in Iraq when he leaves office in January 2009. |