17 July 2004	Saturday	28 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

WASHINGTON, July 16: Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said he would set three conditions for withdrawing US troops from Iraq if he were elected, and warned that President George Bush might cut troop numbers ahead of the Nov 2 vote.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, John Kerry said the conditions were "to measure the level of stability" in Iraq, "to measure the outlook for the stability to hold" and "to measure the ability ... of their security forces" to defend Iraq.

Until each condition is satisfied, John Kerry said: "I will provide for the world's need not to have a failed state in Iraq." -AFP