BAGHDAD - Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi on Saturday welcomed the pullout of US combat troops outlined by President Barack Obama but stressed that Washington still has a "great responsibility" to help Iraq.
"We welcome the commitment of the US administration to withdraw its troops from Iraq as scheduled," said Hashemi, in a statement issued by his office.
Hashemi, a Sunni Arab, said Iraq would continue to develop its fledgling security forces but stressed that the job of the United States and the international community was far from over.
"Iraq will still need the international community for some time to build a state of law, and the United States has a great responsibility in this area," he said.
On Friday, Obama ordered an end to US combat operations in Iraq by August 2010, and a complete withdrawal by 2011, eight years after a US-led coalition invaded the country to remove dictator Saddam Hussein from power.
A post-2010 interim force of between 35,000 and 50,000 will stay on to help Iraq with counter-terrorism and training.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton phoned Hashemi on Friday to say the shift was "natural in the light of improved security and the desire of the US government to move away from military operations to focus on civilian and humanitarian efforts in the reconstruction of Iraq," the statement said.
Iraqi newspapers also welcomed the US move but said the still fragile nation had to take stock of its ability to defend itself against both an ongoing insurgency and foreign interference.
"The early withdrawal that we want done must not happen without an accurate study of the Iraqi situation," the independent Al-Dustur newspaper said in an editorial.
"It should take into consideration the illegitimate ambitions of some parties to make decisions and spark conflicts in Iraqi politics," it said.
"Because quickly emptying Iraq from some of the stabilising elements, especially at the level of logistical support, would certainly lead to a rush by some parties to fill this vacuum."
But Badr newspaper, run by the powerful Shiite party, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, hailed the withdrawal without any reservation and said the local security forces had proved themselves.
"The significant improvement in Iraq has not come because of the US presence in Iraq but because of the rehabilitation and preparation of the Iraqi armed forces who have liberated most areas from Al-Qaeda gangs and outlaws."
"This withdrawal will pull the rug out from under the feet of the bidders on Iraq and those who were bombing the innocents on the pretext of liberating them from US occupation."
Under a military accord signed with Baghdad last November, Washington had already agreed to withdraw all of its combat troops by the end of 2011, and to pull out of towns and cities by the end of June.
Commanders in Iraq had expressed concern that pulling out under a 16-month timeline first proposed by Obama during his election campaign could leave US forces short-handed at a sensitive time after crucial Iraqi elections within a year.
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told AFP earlier this month that Clinton had assured him the US would engineer a responsible pull out.
"The Americans have given us assurances that their withdrawal will take place responsibly ... There will be no security vacuum," he said.