US Secretary of State Colin Powell said today that the security situation in Iraq remained challenging but was confident US forces would manage to pacify the country and establish democracy.
Mr Powell was speaking in Baghdad after a meeting with Iraq's new Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari, who said he hoped the occupied country could have a sovereign, elected government in place by the middle or end of next year.
"The security situation remains challenging but, after the briefings I had this morning, I am confident that our commanders understand the environment that we are operating in and will be able to deal with it in due course," Mr Powell said.
US forces come under fire more than a dozen times a day in Iraq. Violent crime and general lawlessness have been widespread since Washington ousted Saddam Hussein in April.
"The major new threats are the terrorists who are trying to infiltrate into the country for the purpose of disrupting this very hopeful process (of bringing democracy to Iraq) and we will not allow that to happen," Mr Powell told reporters.