Iraqi Army in chaos after triple car bombings

The United States commander in Iraq has revealed the Iraqi Army is in disarray as three car bombs killed more than 60 Iraqis and five US soldiers died in another blast.

The bombs tore through busy streets in Balad, a mixed Shiite and Sunni town north of Baghdad, killing more than 60 people and wounding dozens in the latest insurgent attack to strike Iraq.

Police sources said two went off about 10 minutes apart in the town, and targeted a busy market at dusk. A third bomb went off nearby half an hour later.

Hours earlier, five US soldiers died in a bomb attack in the Sunni rebel stronghold of Ramadi.

The attacks came as General George Casey told senators in Washington that the number of "combat effective" Iraqi battalions - those that can operate without US assistance - had fallen from three to one despite efforts to boost capability.

Casey softened previous claims that a "fairly substantial" pullout of US troops could begin next year, telling senators a withdrawal depended on the Iraqi constitutional referendum in two weeks.

Republican John McCain questioned why withdrawals were being discussed at such a volatile time.

"You're taking a very big gamble here. I hope you're correct. I don't see the indicators yet that we are ready to plan or begin withdrawals. And that just isn't my opinion," he said.

The attack is the latest by Sunni Muslim insurgents targeting the majority Shiite population.

Al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has pledged "all out war" on Shiites in an apparent effort to provoke sectarian conflict.

The latest US troop deaths raised the number killed in Iraq to at least 1929, with more than 13,000 wounded.

There are 149,000 US troops in Iraq, while around 20,000 troops from other countries are also serving, nearly half of them from Britain.

Pentagon planners have said they hope to begin withdrawing US troops once Iraqi security forces are strong enough to handle the insurgency.

There are about 190,000 Iraqi security force members, but most are poorly trained.

Iraqis vote on a draft constitution in an October 15 referendum and, if they endorse it, elect a new government on December 15.

Casey insisted progress was being made in training Iraqi forces, but admitted there is a long way to go.

"We fully recognise that Iraqi forces will not have an independent capability for some time, because they don't have the institutional base to support them," Casey said.

He said the average 20th-century counter-insurgency lasted nine years. "There is no reason that we should believe the insurgency in Iraq will take any less time to deal with."

He and General John Abizaid, the commander of US Central Command, testified at the Senate and House Armed Services committees.

They warned that defeating the insurgency would take time. "To be sure the next couple of months are going to be tough."

- REUTERS