U.S. underestimated Iraq political problems: Gates

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (R) pose during a photo opportunity at their meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (no pictured) in Sharm El-Sheikh July 31, 2007. Gates said on Thursday the United States had probably underestimated how hard it would be for Iraqi political leaders to agree reconciliation measures.

ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday the United States had probably underestimated how hard it would be for Iraqi political leaders to agree reconciliation measures.

Gates, speaking at the end of a Middle East tour, also said he had urged countries in the region to redouble efforts to pressure Iran over its nuclear program, declaring "there's not really room for bystanders."

He said he was more optimistic now than several months ago that increased U.S. troop levels could improve security in Iraq, but political progress had proved harder than anticipated.

The main Sunni Muslim bloc quit Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government on Wednesday, underscoring how difficult relations are between political groups.

"We probably all underestimated the depth of the mistrust and how difficult it would be for these guys to come together on legislation which, let's face it, is not just some sort of secondary kind of thing," Gates said.

"The kinds of legislation they're talking about establish the framework of Iraq for the future, so it's almost like our constitutional convention," he told reporters aboard his plane as he flew back to the United States.

Iraqi leaders have promised laws to address the grievances of the Sunni minority that dominated government under Saddam Hussein, such as measures to share out oil revenue and relax restrictions on ex-members of Saddam's Ba'ath party getting public jobs.

But the laws have not been passed, even though U.S. commanders have claimed some reduction in violence since deploying an extra 30,000 troops this year with the aim of boosting security to foster reconciliation.

ENCOURAGED BY ANBAR

Gates said he was more encouraged by local developments, such as the change in the western province of Anbar, where Sunni tribes turned against al Qaeda and now fight alongside U.S. troops against the militant Islamists.

"Clearly the withdrawal of the Sunnis from the government is discouraging. My hope is it can all be patched back together," Gates said.

"But the developments at the local level, I think, are more encouraging than I would have expected three or four months ago."

Gates visited Egypt and Saudi Arabia with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earlier this week and the Pentagon chief then went on to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Gates said there was widespread concern about Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran insists is purely to produce electricity but Washington says is to develop atomic weapons.

"The more countries in the world that cooperate in the U.N. sanctions and in bringing pressures to bear on this government, the better off we'll be. That was basically our message," he said.

"There's not really room for bystanders here."