US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Friday that the United States and its allies would withdraw their troops from Iraq if a new Iraqi interim government says they should.

"Were this interim government to say to us, 'We really think we can handle this on our own and it will be better if you were to leave,' we will leave," Powell said at a press conference after a meeting of the Group of Eight foreign ministers.

But the secretary quickly added: "I have no doubt that the interim Iraqi government will welcome the continued presence and operation of coalition military forces."

"I'm losing absolutely no sleep thinking that they might ask us to leave during this interim period, while we're building up their forces," he added.

The interim government Powell referred to is supposed to take over power from the US-led coalition occupation authority by the end of June.

Foreign ministers of France, Russia and Canada said in a statement that their countries would take part in the rebuilding of Iraq but have no plans to deploy troops in the war-torn country even after the return of power to Iraqis.

The Group of Eight comprises the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Canada, Italy, Japan and Russia.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2004)