Author: Iraq a 'balancing act'

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- The situation in Iraq is a "balancing act" which will mean a U.S. presence until Iraqi soldiers are up to par, author "Bing" West said Sunday.

Appearing on CBS' "Face The Nation," West -- author of the front-line Fallujah book "No True Glory" -- said a sign the American military is on the right path will come when the rank-and-file Iraqi soldier can appear confidently in public and reasonably do his job keeping the peace.

"We're going to know that we've turned a corner in Iraq when (Iraqi) soldiers will stay in uniform and go into their own marketplaces, and we're just not there yet," West said. "And until they get there, the role of our military is to be the bulwark that doesn't allow the insurgency to grow."

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. -- appearing on the same program -- agreed, but said he fears political and public pressure for troop withdrawal may adversely affect the path to success in Iraq.

Reed was critical of the Bush administration, saying more emphasis should be placed on sacrifice across the board, both domestically and in Iraq.