The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Washington

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates Friday voiced hope that US troops will soon start returning home from Iraq, saying improved security there will enable five units to pull out by July as planned.

"The situation on the ground, I think, makes it likely that General (David) Petraeus will be able to decide to bring out the first five teams by July," Gates told an end of year press conference.

"The first of those is coming out this month. My hope has been that the circumstances on the ground will continue to improve," he added.

The challenge for next year, Gates said, would be "to sustain the gains we have achieved."

There are currently about 160,000 US troops in Iraq fighting a fierce insurgency launched in the wake of the March 2003 US-led invasion.

About 30,000 extra troops were sent in during the year in a bid to quell the violence as part of a controversial "surge" strategy laid out by President George W. Bush and the US commander in Iraq, General Petraeus.

According to a Pentagon report released on Tuesday, the surge has been working, with US forces achieving "significant security progress" in Iraq over the past three months with the number of attacks down 62 percent.