WASHINGTON, Nov 15: A top US general warned on Wednesday that setting a timetable for withdrawing American troops from Iraq would further destabilise the country.

In his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gen John Abizaid also rejected the suggestion that sending more US troops to Iraq could help stabilise the situation.

"We do need more troops and the more troops we need are Iraqis," he said. Gen. Abizaid said that sending more US troops would simply prevent the Iraqis from taking responsibility for their own future.

Gen Abizaid, who as chief of the Central Command also oversees US military operations in Iraq, said that setting `specific timetables limit the flexibility’ that he and other American commanders need to deal with the situation.

“At this stage in the campaign we'll need flexibility to manage our force and to help manage the Iraqi force,” he said.

Senator Carl Levin, a leading Democratic member of the new Senate, disagreed. “We cannot save the Iraqis from themselves,” said Senator Levin. “The only way for Iraqi leaders to squarely face that reality is for President Bush to tell them that the United States will begin a phased redeployment of our forces within four to six months.”

Democrats will take control of the House and Senate in January following their victory in the midterm congressional elections last week that gave the opposition majority in both chambers of the US Congress.

The Democrats openly criticise President Bush’s Iraq strategy and some have called for a phased reduction of US troops to begin in as little as four months.

Gen Abizaid, however, said the situation in Iraq was not as bad as it appeared back in August. He said during his recent visits he saw growing confidence among Iraqis in their government. “It’s still at unacceptably high levels,” he said of the sectarian violence “I wouldn’t say that we have turned the corner in this regard, but it’s not nearly as bad as it was in August.”

Gen Abizaid confirmed reports that police in Anbar province -- where 40 US troops were killed last month -- have not been paid for three months.