Iraq's national security adviser said on Tuesday up to 30,000 US troops could leave Iraq early next year as the performance of local security forces improves.
Mowaffaq al-Rubaie said progress made by the Iraqi army and other security forces, and a recent fall in guerrilla attacks, marked "the beginning of the end of the insurgency".
"I believe that early next year up to 30,000 troops can leave Iraq because we believe that we have laid down the groundwork for them to leave," he told Reuters in an interview when asked about American troop withdrawals.
"We have tipped the balance now to our favour and the momentum is only going to get better."
Contradicting assessments of US generals who say very few Iraqi units can fight alone, Rubaie said 50 percent of Iraqi troops were ready to combat guerrillas without the help of American forces or advisers.
But he said a full US pullout was unlikely before the end of 2007.