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UK Foreign Secretary
Jack Straw is meeting Iraqi politicians in Baghdad
to urge the formation of a new broad-based Iraqi
government as soon as possible.
Visiting Basra on Friday, Mr Straw raised the
possibility that some UK troops might pull out of
some parts of the British sector within months.
Correspondents say the UK government clearly hopes
Iraq is entering a new phase of greater
independence.
On Saturday, a car bomb injured several troops and
civilians in Baghdad.
Security officials said the vehicle blew up as an
Iraqi army patrol passed by in the south-east of the
capital, wounding at least 13 people.
Positive talks
Mr Straw has been holding back-to-back meetings with
virtually all the key figures in the Iraqi
leadership, including not only the Kurdish foreign
minister and president and Shia prime minister, but
also representatives of Sunni groups.
Speaking to the BBC on the second day of his
previously unannounced visit, Mr Straw said the
talks had been encouraging.
"[The politicians] expressed their determination to
see the Iraqi security forces continue to be
strengthened to fight... terrorism themselves and to
establish this broad-based coalition government of
national unity which all Iraqi politicians know in
their head, if not in their heart yet, has to be the
future for Iraq."
Mr Straw said there had been a "dramatic" increase
in the number of trained Iraqi security forces over
recent months.
"What is more there is now very great day-to-day,
hour-to-hour, co-operation between the coalition
commanders and Iraqi commanders in very many of
provinces," he said.
"The Iraqi politicians I meet are not pressing the
coalition for less action against the terrorists and
insurgents but for more action and tougher action."
The BBC's Bridget Kendall, who is travelling with Mr
Straw, says any delay in forming a new government
could deepen the rift between Shia and Sunni and
risk pulling the country apart.
Iraqis voted in parliamentary elections last month,
with early results suggesting a lead for the
governing Shia coalition.
Sunni Arab parties however have made complaints of
electoral fraud and voter intimidation, which are
being investigated by international monitors.
After holding talks with British commanders in Basra
on Friday, Mr Straw said indications were one or two
provinces outside Basra might soon be stable enough
to pull some troops out.
www.bbc.co.uk
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