Troops stay until Iraqis are ready

British and American forces will remain in Iraq until that country's own people and agencies are in a position to take over responsibility for their own security, Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George Bush declared.

In a joint declaration following their meeting in Downing Street, Mr Blair and President Bush stated: "Our military participation in the multinational force in Iraq will serve the Iraqi people, until the Iraqis themselves are able to discharge full responsibility for their own security."

The full declaration read: "For the first time in decades, the Iraqi people are enjoying the taste of freedom.

"Iraqis are starting to rebuild their country and can look to a brighter future. They are free of Saddam Hussein and his vicious regime, they can speak freely, practise their religion and start to come to terms with the nightmare of the last 35 years in which hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were murdered by their own Government.

"But Iraq is still threatened by followers of the former regime, and by outside terrorists who are helping them.

"The struggle is difficult. Yet we shall persevere to ensure that the people of Iraq will prevail, with the support of the new and strengthening Iraqi security forces: the police, the Iraqi Civil Defence Corps, the Facility Protection Service, the border police and the New Iraqi Army.

"We salute the courage of those Iraqis and the coalition forces engaged in the struggle against reactionary elements in Iraq who want to turn back the clock to the dark days of Saddam's regime.

"We reaffirm the resolve of our two countries, with many friends and allies, to complete the process of bringing freedom, security and peace to Iraq."

They went on to state: "We warmly welcome the Iraqi Governing Council's announcement of a timetable for the creation of a sovereign Iraqi Transitional Administration by the end of June 2004, and for a process leading to the adoption of a permanent constitution and national elections for a new Iraqi government by the end of 2005.

"This announcement is consistent with our long-stated aim of handing over power to Iraqis as quickly as possible. It is right that Iraqis are making these decisions and for the first time in generations determining their own future. We welcome the Governing Council's commitment to ensuring the widest possible participation in the Transitional Assembly and constitutional process."

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