Rice: Iraqis 'Have Long Way to Go'

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/IraqWhereThingsStand/story?id=1412557

Rice: Iraqis 'Have Long Way to Go'
Despite Successful Election, U.S. Will Stay

Dec. 16, 2005 — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice heralded Thursday's Iraqi elections as a success, but said American troops would need to remain in the country until a new government and army were firmly established.

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"It the election certainly represents a fundamental realization that the Iraqis are going to take control of their future and going to take control of it in a way that is going to be peaceful and based on politics," Rice said in an interview today on "Good Morning America."

Rice, however, said Iraqis "still have a long way to go."

"They've got a long government formulation process ahead of them," she said. "But they also have a difficult security situation. That's why the United States and the coalition are still there. That's why we are training Iraqi security forces."