Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said he favored a long-term, limited US military presence in Iraq to protect the country from foreign interference, The Washington Post reported Monday.
 
To prevent interference from other nations, "Kurdistan wants the Americans to stay. In some places Sunnis want the Americans to stay," Talabani, a Kurd, told the newspaper during an interview last week in New York.

"This will be (in) the interest of the Iraqi people and of peace in the Mideast," he claimed.

Talabani said some 10,000 US soldiers and two air bases would meet that purpose.
At present, there are 147,000 US troops in Iraq. 

(Xinhua News Agency September 26, 2006)