Bremer: U.S. Could Quit Iraq Next Summer

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/complete/la-073103iraq_lat,1,1039651.story?coll=la-home-headlines

The American administrator of Iraq, L. Paul Bremer III, said today that the United States could relinquish control of the country by next summer, an accelerated timetable that would suit politicians both in the United States and Iraq.

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"How long will this take? It is in the hands of the Iraqi people. But it's not unrealistic to think we would have elections by midyear 2004 and when that government is installed ... my job here will be over," said Bremer, who was guarded by a combination of uniformed military, special forces and secret service.

An Iraqi politician close to the country's new governing council said that the approaching U.S. elections in the fall of 2004 may be one factor motivating Washington to seek an earlier exit from Iraq.

"The key issue is that the Bush administration would like to produce some results for the American public," said the high-ranking staff member for the council. "They didn't find any weapons of mass destruction and if there's no elected government, no elections, no real democracy by the time of the 2004 elections, it would be a big, big debacle."