French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy on Wednesday objected to an immediate pullout of multinational troops from Iraq, but stressed it was time to have a timetable for withdrawal.

"I think, now, it is necessary to have a timetable for the withdrawal," Douste-Blazy told France 2 television, but added "if it left straight away it would be even worse."

The minister said the international community "need the responsibility for security to be transferred to the Iraqis...Iraq must be able to exist with sovereignty."

The question of the mandate of multinational troops in Iraq would soon be discussed at the UN Security Council, the minister added.

The minister also said that there had been discussions on the issue with the United States, which led the Iraq war in 2003, following the "victory of Democrats in the recent legislative mid-term elections."

The Democrats' victory over Republicans in the US mid-term congressional elections on Nov. 7 has been in part registered as a national referendum on Republican President Bush's policy in Iraq and his performance.

French President Jacques Chirac had called on the United States for a "perspective for withdrawal" from Iraq last week when Iraqi President Jalal Talabani visited France.

(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2006)