'Ending Iraqi insurgency could take up to 10 yrs'

US army officials have said that it could take upto 10 years to crush the insurgency in Iraq, which has shown no signs of letting up since the transfer of power to an interim Iraqi government. American officials had expected the violence to drop after Iraqis regained control of their government on June 28 in the belief that Iraqi security forces would be better at gathering intelligence and support for militants would erode. But continuing attacks suggest that it will take time, possibly years to crush the insurgency, the officials were quoted as saying by USA Today .President George W Bush and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld have said the US forces will stay in Iraq as long as they are needed to assist Iraqi security forces. "If we have the political will and stamina to stay, I could see this going on for 10 years," says Randoldph Gangle, a retired officer who heads the Marine Corps' Centre for Emerging Threats and Opportunities. [more ]