"There's generally an acceptance that the raw growth in the security forces will start to tail off at the back end of this year, and we are already shifting our focus," Torrens-Spence said. "We'll be focusing more on the second one of those four categories — growing enablers."

By the end of 2008, officials said, the Iraq Army was expected to reach 220,000 soldiers. In January 2007, the army contained 100,000 soldiers.

Torrens-Spence said the growth rates in the Iraqi police, navy, and air force have been equivalent to that of the army. The officer did not provide figures.

"Our job is to help the Iraqis grow, sustain and develop their military forces," Torrens-Spence said. "Once grown and developed, in effect what we do is pass those forces across to the field commanders, and they then conduct operations on behalf of the fight."

Torrens-Spence said the U.S.-led coalition has determined four methods to help increase the capability of Iraq's military and police. He listed force expansion, development, improving the Defense Ministry and the Interior Ministry, and the reduction of sectarian divisions.

So far, officials have reported a significant increase in the budgets of the two Iraqi ministries. They said the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki has also improved its strategic planning capabilities.

"A big priority now for us is developing the logistics capability, rather than the command and control, and developing the surveillance and target acquisition capability," Torrens-Spence said. "The shift in focus [is] from just growing the force, into turning it into a more coherent force."

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