The concerns echo those of Iraq's top military officer, who said last week that the conflict-wracked nation's army would need until 2020 to be completely ready to handle security, and called for US forces to stay until then.

On the streets of Baghdad a lack of trust and confidence was obvious.

"It would have been better for the Americans to wait until the Iraqi army and police complete their training and become a truly loyal force," Ali Khalaf, 30, an engineer who also paints houses to eke a living, told AFP in Baghdad.

The Iraqi capital has seen the worst of the country's violence since a 2003 US-led invasion ousted dictator Saddam Hussein from power but ushered in chaos that culminated in a brutal sectarian insurgency that killed tens of thousands.

On Tuesday, a suicide bomber in Baghdad killed 59 mostly young men who had lined up to join Iraq's army at a recruitment centre in the worst single attack to hit the country this year.

"It was after the Americans withdrew from our cities that the attacks began again," Abu Ali, who works in the interior ministry that controls Iraq's police force, told AFP.

He was referring to a series of devastating bombings since the US military's exit from urban areas in June 2009.

"If they withdraw completely, what will happen?" he asked, openly expressing doubt about the country's stability. "The Americans must stay because the Iraqi government does not control anything."

Also sceptical was Mohammed al-Gartani, a leader of the Sahwa (Awakening) militia also known by the US army as the Sons of Iraq.

This force of former Sunni rebels was founded, trained and paid for by the Americans in late 2006 and it won credit for taming the insurgency in the next two years.

"The US withdrawal will subject Iraq to strong attacks from terrorists, because we are now in a critical situation and the country is suffering from foreign interference," said Gartani in the Karkh district of Baghdad.

"The reduction in US troop numbers is not at a good time, especially with the lack of an agreement to form the new government," he said. "The Iraqi forces need at least two years to improve their abilities."

In Basra, Iraq's third largest city, the feeling was similarly anxious, particularly in the wake of a triple bombing that killed 43 people on August 7.

"I do not support the US forces withdrawal because there is no security now, especially in Basra," said Muna Jassim Ali, 31, a teacher in the sprawling southern city.

"There is good evidence that the latest attacks, even in places where there are large numbers of Iraqi forces, show what the situation will be like after the Americans leave. I don't think the Iraqi forces can protect us," she said.

However, in the holy Shiite city of Najaf, there was considerable enthusiasm after the US army's 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, crossed into neighbouring Kuwait ahead of an August 31 deadline to end combat operations.

"The US withdrawal will strengthen our security and national reconciliation process," said Sheikh Sabah al-Tamimi, a 40-year-old student at a nearby religious school.

"The American presence is the cause of our problems," he added.

Hameed Fadhel, a professor of political science at Baghdad University, however, was adamant that the timing was wrong.

"We as Iraqis -- the government and the parliament -- did not do anything to prepare ourselves for this responsibility," he said.

"This is an irresponsible withdrawal; there are dangers to do with security of the country, concerns and fears for Iraq's external security, because of the lack of a military that is able to protect the country."

related report
Troops gone, US to rely on 7,000 private contractors in Iraq
As the United States withdraws its forces from Iraq, it will be pouring private security contractors into the country to take up some of their tasks, US officials said Thursday.

Under President Barack Obama's plan to end US combat operations this month and withdraw most US military forces from Iraq by October 2011, the State Department will double to some 7,000 the number of contractors it employs there, the officials said.

State Department spokesman Philip Crowly, confirming a report that appeared in The New York Times, said the larger force of contractors would carry out a variety of tasks.

"We will still have our own security needs to make sure our diplomats and development experts are well protected," he said.

"We have contractors who are guarding our embassy, and we'll have contractors who are, as they are today, helping with our mobility and helping with personal security as our diplomats move around the country," he said.

Crowley said the extra security would be needed as long as Iraq remains a dangerous place, but he expected the number to decrease as security improves over time.

The Times said the contractors would be deployed to defend five fortified compounds that will be left behind as US combat forces exit Iraq and the US mission switches from a military-led to a civilian-headed operation.

Citing unnamed administration officials, the newspaper said private security contractors would also operate radar to warn of enemy fire, search for roadside bombs and fly surveillance drones.

They could also staff "quick reaction forces" dispatched to rescue civilians in trouble.

The massive increase in security contractors is an indication of the unusually large role that will be assumed by US diplomatic staff after combat troops leave Iraq.

The last US combat brigade left Iraq at dawn on Thursday, leaving behind some 56,000 US soldiers who will gradually draw down over the coming year.

The Times said more than 1,200 specific tasks currently handled by US troops had been identified for handover to US civilians or Iraqis or to be phased out.

The State Department meanwhile, seeking to outfit its employees for the next phase of their mission, plans to purchase 60 mine-resistant vehicles from the Pentagon and to expand its inventory of armored cars to 1,320.

It also plans to add three planes to the sole aircraft it now has in Iraq, and expand its helicopter fleet -- to be piloted by contractors -- to 29 from 17.

The increased reliance on security contractors could cause conflict with Iraq's government, which is sensitive to the use of foreign civilian security personnel because of their alleged role in incidents of civilian deaths.

But the forces employed by the State Department will not have immunity from Iraqi prosecution, will be required to register with the country, and will be trailed by State Department regional security officers for extra oversight.

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News