the country's leadership to build up its own security forces.

Putin said on Thursday during a live televised question-and-answer session in the capital, Moscow: "The Americans say you should not name a date for withdrawal."

"I think this should be done, because unless it is done, the Iraqi leadership feels under a US umbrella and won't rush to build up its own security forces."
  
Putin said he agreed with George Bush, the US president, that a withdrawal should not be carried out until Iraq was able to support itself but added that the US occupation should not last "eternally".

"To have an occupation regime there eternally is unacceptable," Putin said.

AMSI Net- Aljazeera Net