Monday, October 3 2005 10:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The US can reduce troops in Iraq early next year if a legitimate and broadly representative Government emerges in the strife-torn country, a senior military commander said.

"If a legitimate Government emerges in Iraq that is broadly seen as being representative of Sunni, Shia and Kurdish interests, I think there's no reason to suppose that we can't bring force levels down in the spring," Gen John Abizaid, Central Command chief said.

General Abizaid told sources that, "The involvement of Iraqi forces in stabilizing that nation continues to increase." Conceding that there can be no progress unless the Sunnis are satisfied, he said developments in the political sphere in Iraq are crucial to the military effort.

"Essentially, there are portions of the Sunni Arab community that are in insurgency. And that's where we've got to concentrate our efforts both militarily and, by the way, politically. We need the Sunni Arab community in Iraq to be part of the future of Iraq," he said.

"The important thing is whether or not the overall movement towards stability and security is falling more and more in the hands of the Iraqis," Gen. Abizaid said.

"And the answer is it is, but it's also a difficult road to go on. There are peaks and valleys that you go through, but overall, the trend is good. We're certainly confident. And the most important thing we're confident about is that the Iraqis want to do this. They want to take the fight. They will take the fight."