Utah and the rest of the country won't continue to send troops to Iraq indefinitely, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said Tuesday, calling for leaders of the war-torn country to form a new government quickly.

Huntsman said that was the message he and another other members of a delegation organized by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., delivered to Iraqi officials "in the strongest possible terms" during a four-day visit to the region that included stops in Baghdad and Fallujah.

The governor, a former diplomat who served as a U.S. ambassador to Singapore and as a trade representative, said that Iraq faces "problems on the political side" that must be resolved — or else.

"We have sent our very best to the theater of combat and that it is not an indefinite proposal. They must get their act together from a political standpoint, create a unity government and begin to build the institutions of democracy," he said.

After meeting with leaders in Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan, the governor said the delegation determined it wants to see President Bush take action to force Iraqi leaders to finish what was started with a landmark election held there three months ago.

"It is absolutely unacceptable that we had elections during which millions turned out . . . and we still don't have a government," Huntsman said. "As a result of that, there is waning support among the American population for our actions in Iraq."

The governor said he does not believe there is support for sending additional troops to Iraq, as some have suggested is necessary to win the war. Still, losing in Iraq would have catastrophic consequences, he said.

But Huntsman, a Republican like the president, said he was not criticizing the Bush Administration's handling of the three-year-old war. Instead, he said, the bi-partisan delegation were simply offering "kind of a common sense reaction."

The nine-member group, which included governors and members of Congress, proposed that the president urge Iraqi leaders to convene peace talks similar to those held in Dayton, Ohio, in 1995, to resolve the former Yugoslavia's civil war.

Huntsman said that proposal was being discussed Tuesday in the White House.

The governor also met with Utah troops during his visit, but said he regretted not being allowed to travel for security reasons to Ramadi, near where members of the Utah National Guard are deployed with the 2nd Battalion, 222nd Field Artillery unit.

Lt. Col. Richard Richard Miller of the unit said in an e-mail to the Deseret Morning News that the soldiers understood the need to keep the governor and the rest of the delegation safe and were not disappointed.