Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki yesterday raised the prospect of setting a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops as part of negotiations over a new security agreement with Washington.

It was the first time the US-backed Shi'ite-led government has floated the idea of a timetable for the removal of American forces from Iraq. The Bush administration has always opposed such a move, saying it would benefit militant groups.

In a statement, Maliki's office said the prime minister made the comments about the security pact - which will replace a UN mandate for the presence of US troops that expires on Dec 31 - to Arab ambassadors in the United Arab Emirates.