In his first major foreign policy address since losing his White House bid, Senator John F. Kerry called on President Bush to bring home 20,000 US troops from Iraq after the country votes on a National Assembly in December, adding that ''the goal should be to withdraw the bulk of American combat forces by the end of next year."

''We must move aggressively to reduce popular support for the insurgency fed by the perception of American occupation," Kerry said.

Separately, Clinton administration secretary of state Madeleine K. Albright delivered a report to top Democratic congressional leaders calling for a 50 percent increase in federal spending on homeland security, the creation of a domestic intelligence agency, and a Cabinet-level ranking for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

''We are all looking at the Iraq issue, how to make America safe and not leave the situation in complete chaos," Albright added, echoing many of Kerry's themes. ''The Democrats are basically supportive of the troops. We would like to see an Iraq that is stable and relatively democratic."