US President George W. Bush said US troops would probably stay in Iraq after the landmark Jan. 30 election as likely winners of the vote had showed the intention to retain them.
In an interview published Friday by The New York Times, Bush said he had heard the voices of "the people that presumably will be in positions of responsibility after these elections," and "it seems that most of the leadership there understands that there will be a need for coalition troops at least until the Iraqis are able to fight."
However, Bush said US forces would move out if asked by the new Iraqi government.
"Yes, absolutely," he responded to the question whether American troops would withdraw at the request of Iraqis. "This is a sovereign government -- they're on their feet."
Bush said there was "a certain realism among the (Iraqi) leadership, at least the ones I've talked to, that say, 'Look there's more work to do before we are ready to move out on our own '."
Bush admitted that his country was seen by many Iraqis as occupiers.
"To the extent that a coalition presence is viewed as an occupying force, it enables the insurgents, the radicals, to continue to impress people that the government really is not their government, and that the government is complicit in having their country occupied," he said.
Therefore it was important that "we make sure the Iraqi citizens view US troops as helpers, not as occupiers," Bush said.
The US Army said Monday that at least 120,000 out of the 150, 000 US troops now in Iraq would stay for the next two years to train and fight with Iraqi forces against insurgents.
Bush said Iraqi forces needed not only more equipment and training, but a command structure, which was "the spine of any military capacity."