Arab League chief: US pullout from Iraq should be gradual

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Amr Moussa, the secretary-general of the Arab League, warned Saturday the US should not withdraw took quickly from Iraq and leave the country "in chaos." "The question is, is Iraq today ready with a national army, a national police force, a national judiciary, a national educational system," Moussa told The Associated Press. "If they are ready, the troops have to leave," he said. "If they are not ready and the Americans are there anyway and the mistake has been committed, I am not of the view that we just call on the Americans to leave ... It would be another mistake to create chaos in the country and then leave it in chaos." US President George W. Bush will announce his decision on future troops levels in Iraq next week and is expected to largely follow the recommendations of military leaders to reduce the number by up to 8,000 by mid-January.