United State Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that terrorists will win if the United Nations and the International Red Cross leave Iraq.

"If they are going to totally pull out it means that they have yielded to terrorist action, but I'm also confident that as our military forces continue their work and, as Iraqi police forces and paramilitary forces are strengthened as they assist in taking control over the situation, these organisations will be back," Powell said on Thursday.

Asked whether the US needs better intelligence in Iraq, Powell said, "We all need better intelligence. I mean, we're working hard. It is an enemy that we're still defining. It consists of old members of the regime who are not fighting the US alone."

"They want to bring the old way back. Well, the old way isn't coming back. We won't allow it, but more importantly, the Iraqi people don't want to go back to that... we will not let them terrorise the Iraqi people," he added.

PTI