WASHINGTON: The day after she returned from Iraq, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday criticized President Bush’s plan to turn control of the country over to Iraqis by July as politically motivated.

Without mentioning Bush by name or title, Ms Clinton, who voted last year to authorize the war, offered some of her sharpest criticism in a news conference, suggesting his timing was motivated by next November’s election.

“My hope is that it’s not driving any of our policy,” she said in response to a question. “My suspicion is indeed it is.”

She said Bush’s plan, reached two weeks ago to create a

transitional Iraqi government by June 30, “suggests there is some kind of political imperative to declare victory or to point to some kind of interim victory.”

Ms Clinton said there were “several dangers in this plan and in this timetable. No one has emerged who will provide a unifying presence for transition.” She also said it is unclear how to protect the rights of religious and ethnic minorities, such as Sunni Muslims and ethnic Kurds.

“We face the danger of raising false expectations that next summer, Iraq will be sovereign,” she said. “That seems hard to imagine.”

Clinton spoke to reporters after spending Friday and Saturday in Iraq with Senator Jack Reed, visiting soldiers and speaking with military commanders and civilian leaders. Ms Clinton and Mr Reed, a former army captain, are on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Bush, in a surprise visit to soldiers in Baghdad on Thursday, said US forces would “stay until the job is done.”

The administration projects reducing the number of US troops from 130,000 to 105,000 and keeping them in the country as “guests”.

“The president has said on many occasions that the United States is going to stay and finish the job and to accomplish the mission of providing a free, democratic, sovereign and prosperous Iraq that is governed by the Iraqi people,” White House spokesman Trent Duffy said on Monday.

“The decision as to timetables and the like are governed principally by accomplishing that mission.”

In the face of increasing attacks on US troops, Bush recently agreed to let Iraqis choose a provisional government that would write a constitution and hold general elections.

The administration originally wanted to write a constitution before giving Iraqis power, but the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council demanded a speedier transition.

Clinton called the June 30 transfer-of-power date “an artificial deadline,” and said, “We have to be prepared for a much longer run to accomplish our goals than we’ve been discussing.”

She added, “We cannot let our own elections or other priorities interfere with doing it right.” —Dawn/The LAT-WP News Service (c) The Washington Post.