Official sketches Iraq handover plan

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A senior U.S. military official Saturday outlined plans for the American handover of security to Iraqi police in the capital and three other provinces before the end of the year. But even as he spoke, Iraqi politicians failed to meet a deadline to appoint the ministers who eventually will be responsible for those forces.

The official described the military's strategy for transfer of authority to the provincial governments in the relatively stable provinces of Najaf and Karbala during the next few months. The restive provinces of Babil and Baghdad "will take a little longer," he said.

The official said he thought it could happen by the end of the year but stressed that security conditions will govern the timeline for all four areas.

Under the plan, local governors initially will assume control of the police. The handover of control is intended as a "bridging" phase before the Iraqi government assumes full responsibility for security in the country.

Since the new Cabinet was sworn in, Iraqi Primer Minister Nouri al-Maliki repeatedly has talked of Iraqis taking over security responsibilities from the Americans. It's a message that also benefits the Bush administration, which is preparing for midterm elections having lost significant domestic support over the war.

But Iraqi politicians have been unable to agree on who should be named as defense, interior and national-security ministers.

Other developments

• On Saturday, gunmen killed at least a dozen people in separate shootings.

• A Marine assigned to the 2/28 Brigade Combat Team was killed in Anbar province Friday, the U.S. military announced Saturday. Despite continuous sweeps of cities and villages, U.S. troops have been unable to secure the vast western province.

• A Marine AH-1 Cobra helicopter crashed Saturday and its two crew members were missing in Anbar. Hostile fire was not suspected as the cause of the crash, the U.S. military said.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.