Gates hails Iraq, warns against Iran, Qaeda

AFP - US Defence Secretary Robert Gates hailed on Thursday the "extraordinary" progress made in Iraq as an example for Middle East democracy, but warned that neighbouring Iran and extremist groups would try to exploit unrest sweeping the region.

Gates, who arrived in Baghdad Wednesday evening, met with Lieutenant General Lloyd Austin, commander of US military forces in Iraq, before going into talks with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

At the Camp Liberty US base west of Baghdad, the Pentagon chief met with some of the nearly 50,000 US troops still in Iraq. That number is down from a peak of more than 170,000 after the US-led 2003 invasion to topple dictator Saddam Hussein and ahead of a planned full withdrawal in late 2011.

"To see Iraq today -- and when you look at the turbulences going across the entire region -- lots of these folks would be happy if they could get to where Iraq is today," Gates told reporters.

"It's not perfect but it's new and it's a democracy and people do have rights."

Since February, Iraq has seen its share of nationwide protests. But unlike the uprisings sweeping across the Arab world Iraqis have not been demanding regime change, just reform and better living conditions.

"What has been achieved here at huge sacrifice on the part of the Iraqis, on the part of our troops and on the part of the American people is really extraordinary," Gates said.

As recently as Saturday, two American soldiers in Iraq were killed by "indirect fire," the US military said. That raised the number of US casualties since the invasion to 4,443, according to the independent website www.icasualties.org.

Gates also warned that Iran and extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda would try to exploit Arab unrest.

He said it was "a concern that the internal security services of many Arab countries have turned to their internal problems rather than broader counter-terrorism."

"This is a period where extremists will probably try to take advantage -- including Iran. We must make sure these guys don't make a free ride."

Gates travelled from Saudi Arabia, where he sharply criticised Iran.

"We already have evidence that the Iranians are trying to exploit the situation in Bahrain and we also have evidence that they're talking about what they can do to create problems elsewhere," Gates said, referring to Shiite-led protests that were crushed by Bahrain's Sunni monarchy.

The Pentagon chief also was to meet President Jalal Talabani, and travel to northern Iraq for talks with Massud Barzani, president of the autonomous Kurdish region.

A senior defence official traveling with him said Gates would press Iraqi leaders to "complete the government formation process, particularly to get security ministries dealt with."

More than a year after an inconclusive general election, Iraq still has no defence, interior or national security ministers, even though Maliki stitched together a deal to form a national unity government in December.

Asked about a possible extension of the US military mission, the defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Gates had not ruled this out but the request must come from the Iraqis -- and better sooner than later.

General Babak Zebari, the Iraqi armed forces chief of staff, has said the US withdrawal was premature, saying his forces would not be able to ensure full security before 2020.

But Maliki's office quoted the premier as saying in talks with Gates that "our armed forces, police and army are now capable of deterring any aggression, and its capabilities to impose security and stability are growing day by day."

Gates told the US House of Representatives' Armed Services Committee in February that Baghdad would face sizeable "problems" after the withdrawal.

He predicted Iraqis would be unable to protect their own airspace, would face intelligence challenges and "have problems with logistics and maintenance."

US Ambassador James Jeffrey told reporters on Friday a 2008 agreement setting the timetable for withdrawal could be renegotiated by either side, but that Iraqi leaders had made no request for an extension and Washington was going ahead with the pullout.

The withdrawal is expected to accelerate from late summer, the defence official said. He added that Austin's plan was to "keep as robust a contact with the ISF (Iraqi Security Forces) for as long as possible ... before we start to draw down."

Jeffrey said Iraq would face attacks by Al-Qaeda and other militant groups beyond 2011.

In Iraq's deadliest incident since August, 58 people were killed and 97 wounded in a suicide bombing in the city of Tikrit at the close of last month. The attack was claimed by Al-Qaeda's Iraq affiliate.