BRIDGEPORT — Fourth Congressional District Democratic candidate Jim Himes said Monday the United States should begin to withdraw American troops as a way of forcing rival Iraqi factions to agree on a future for their nation.

"We say to the Iraqis, 'We won't do this anymore," he said of the costly American presence and to start withdrawing brigades "as quickly as possible."

Himes said that would force the fractious Sunni, Shia and Kurdish groups to reach an arrangement on such issues as oil revenue, governance and reducing violence in much the same manner as Balkan factions had to cooperate on issues critical to the future of their region.

In an hourlong meeting with the Connecticut Post editorial board, Himes, the endorsed Democrat in an Aug. 12 primary, criticized Republican U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4, for a "lack of clarity" in his stands on the Iraq war. Shays, a Bridgeport resident seeking election to a 12th term in November, called for "time lines" on U.S. involvement during the 2006 campaign, but voted against them repeatedly, Himes said.

"The electorate needs to hold him accountable," he said.

But Himes said he is "not nave" about the dangers of terrorism, adding, "We need to retain an ability to project force in the region" as a deterrent.

On domestic issues Himes attacked Shays for a lack of interest in health care until recently and a failure to win monetary support the region needs from Washington when it came to improving

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As a Democrat in what is widely expected to be another Congressional session controlled by Democrats, Himes said he can "deliver the goods in a way Chris Shays cannot."

Himes, a former Greenwich Democratic Town Committee chairman, could get a boost this year in what is perceived to be an election season favorable to Democrats. The Democrats' presumptive presidential candidate Barack Obama is expected to draw many inner-city voters and Himes, born in Peru to American parents, hopes to reach out to Spanish-speaking voters.

Though Himes, endorsed at a Democratic district convention in May, is focusing his attention on Shays, he still faces a contest for the party's endorsement from fellow Greenwich Democrat Lee Whitnum, who gathered enough signatures to force the Aug. 12 primary.

Himes acknowledged it would get him some attention he has lacked.

"I'm delighted about it," he said of the primary campaign.