BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said the government has "new plans" to crush the deadly insurgency and restore security, in an address to Iraq's interim parliament on his return from a foreign tour.
"We must have a suitable atmosphere for the conduct of election and the security situation requires exceptional" forces, Allawi said Tuesday.
"Therefore, the government has decided to establish new plans for achieving the security and for chasing those who are trying to prevent us from achieving this national job," he said.
Allawi, who returned to Baghdad on Monday after a two-and-a-half week trip that included Washington and London, provided no details about the new plans.
But he vowed to press ahead with operations against rebel enclaves like the joint US-Iraqi operation over the weekend against Samarra, north of Baghdad. That resulted in the killing of almost 150 people, many of whom the US military said were suspected insurgents.
"Our military operations will continue with the support of multinational forces until we can restore stability and security to all cities that are threatened by terrorists," said Allawi.
"We are determined to conduct this election on time."
The thrust of the Samarra operation lasted about 48 hours and was the largest joint assault involving Iraq's fledgling security forces.
Many in Allawi's government have hinted in recent days that the rebel cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, west of Baghdad, may be targeted next ahead of the scheduled national elections in January.
Allawi told the National Assembly that foreign troops were needed in Iraq as long as it took to restore order to the violence-ravaged country.
"We all look to the day foreign forces would leave Iraq ... but this will not happen before we achieve security and stability in country," he said.
"As long as there are those who are betting on terror, our need for multinational forces would continue."
There are about 133,000 US soldiers in Iraq in addition to 23,500 from other countries.