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The U.S. military has handed control of Iraq's once violent Anbar province to Iraqi security forces.

At a ceremony marking the handover today (Monday),the commander of U.S. troops in Anbar warned that the struggle against insurgents in the western region is not yet over. But the commander, Marine Major General John Kelly, said the goal is very near.

Anbar, now one of Iraq's most peaceful regions, is the 11th of 18 Iraqi provinces the United States has returned to Iraqi control.

U.S. forces will withdraw to bases and rejoin Iraqi operations in Anbar only at the request of the provincial governor.

President Bush praised the handover as a major achievement. In a statement today, Mr. Bush said the Iraqi people have transformed and reclaimed the region, and he said the United States will continue to work with Iraq to defeat the remaining threats.