WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- US Vice President Dick Cheney said Wednesday that Americans must be prepared for decades-long involvement in Iraq.

    For fulfilling its "historic duty," the United States "must be prepared to fight the war on terror for decades to bring peace to Iraq and the rest of the Middle East," he said when addressing a meeting of the Association of the US Army.

    "As the people of that region experience new hope, progress, and control over their own destiny, we will see the power of freedom to change our world and a terrible threat will be removed," Cheney said.

    However, like any other Bush administration officials, he did not give a clear timetable for US military presence in Iraq.

    Cheney echoed US President George W. Bush's assertions that Iraqi security forces are making progress and will be capable of handling the increased insurgency very soon.

    However, several US top commanders in Iraq told the Congress recently that the number of Iraqi battalions capable of fighting without US help have dropped from three to one.

    As Bush's top lieutenant, Cheney was a key architect of the US invasion of Iraq two years ago and often made optimistic predictions on US plans in Iraq. Enditem