"I think we will not need the multi-national, foreign forces, in this country within 18 months," he said. "I think we will be able to depend on ourselves."

Election officials said turnout had been higher than expected in Sunday's elections despite attacks by insurgents bent on destroying the poll.

At least 37 people died in assaults across the country.

President Bush, under pressure to start bringing troops home after the election, has said US-led forces must keep going to help the new government get its footing.

But al-Naqib said Iraqi security forces would need only 18 months.

"We are building our forces and I think we will need 18 months -- it's my estimate -- that we will have a quite reasonable sized force, trained, well trained force, well equipped to protect the country.

"So I believe very much that we won't need more than 18 months."

US President George W. Bush on Sunday praised Iraqi voters and security forces for keeping the vote relatively smooth, but his administration again refused to provide a timetable for the withdrawal of some 150,000 US troops.

The UN Security Council has set the end of 2005 as the target date for the withdrawal of foreign troops.

AP adds: Iraq's security forces are still far from reaching US goals in numbers and capabilities, but American military commanders insist they are gaining ground in training and equipping these units.

Iraq had some 125,000 trained security and military personnel as of Jan. 19, according to US government figures, about 46 percent of its goal of 271,000. The figures include police and Iraqi National Guard as well as army, navy, air force and special operations and rapid-response units.

Six months ago, Iraqi security forces were in roughly the same place 87,000 personnel amounted to about 45 percent of US goals at a time when planners were seeking a smaller force. US government projections, posted weekly on the Internet, said the Iraqi security forces would be completely trained and equipped by spring 2005.

That is no longer the case. Security forces are now expected to be fully trained and equipped by the summer 2006, according to a senior US military officer in Iraq who is close to the training effort but spoke on the condition of anonymity. The officer did not have a final projection for when the military would be completely trained and equipped.

Congratulating the Iraqi people Sunday for turning out at the polls, President Bush said: "We will continue training Iraqi security forces so this rising democracy can eventually take responsibility for its own security."

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, who has pressed for an early pullout of US forces, said, "Over the next year, we must more effectively train capable Iraqi security forces."