Jack Straw has suggested that power will be handed to the Iraqi people sooner than expected.

Speaking as he headed to Washington, the foreign secretary said: We want to hand over power to the Iraqi people as quickly as possible. And it could well be that we hand over power to the Iraqis more quickly than planned.

"However, we as the coalition, the United Kingdom and United States as literally the occupying powers, have clear responsibilities for security in Iraq and we have to meet those responsibilities."

His comments came after a suicide bomber smashed into a police headquarters in Nasiriyah in the British-controlled sector, killing at least 27 people, including 18 Italians.