The U.S. official overseeing the reconstruction of Iraq says the country will likely experience more terrorist attacks in the coming months. In an interview with The Times, Paul Bremer said this will not force coalition forces into an early withdrawal.
The U.S. administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, said hundreds of terrorists from Syria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen have infiltrated Iraq. He said as reconstruction efforts moves in our direction, terrorist attacks will will likely increase.
Mr. Bremer said terror acts are difficult to stop and would intensify unless coalition forces improve their intelligence gathering apparatus.
He said he is considering a proposal by Iraq's interior ministry to form a special force made up of members from militias that are attached to the various political parties in Iraq. And he said it was not impossible that a few members of ousted leader Saddam Hussein's former intelligence service could be included. But he said there would be very strict guidelines involved.
Mr. Bremer said the U.S. administration has no plans for an early withdrawal from Iraq. He said to withdraw would have fatal consequences for Iraq and the entire Middle East.
He said he believes coalition forces could be asked to stay in Iraq by a future Iraqi government to help maintain stability.
Meanwhile, another American soldier has been killed in Iraq. The U.S. military said a soldier with the 18th Military Police Brigade was killed late Sunday by a rocket-propelled grenade. The attack occurred about 50 kilometers south of Baghdad.