WASHINGTON — Rep. John M. McHugh finished his ninth visit to Iraq Thursday, declaring a "return to normalcy" that sets the stage for further withdrawals of U.S. forces.

Mr. McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, visited Baghdad, as well as Anbar province, the region once declared the headquarters of Al-Qaida in Iraq but which now appears stable enough to turn over to Iraqi security forces, possibly as soon as next week.

"You can feel the vibrancy on the streets," Mr. McHugh said in a conference call with reporters, during a stop in Kuwait on his way home, adding that there are "vehicles all over the place" and busy public markets.

"That's a pretty clear indication that these people most importantly feel their safety is restored," Mr. McHugh said.

Mr. McHugh, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, traveled with a small group of U.S. lawmakers. They met with Maj. Gen. Michael L. Oates, commander of the 10th Mountain Division, as well as Gen. David H. Petreaus and other U.S. and Iraqi military leaders, and with U.S. soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division.

They also viewed Iraqi special forces training with live-fire weaponry, a first for Mr. McHugh.

While Mr. McHugh said security has clearly improved — he cited an "absolute collapse" in fatal attacks — he was less certain about the timing for ending the U.S. military presence there. Any agreement between the United States and Iraq on withdrawal timelines must contain language detailing how the countries would deal with changes in conditions on the ground, he said, a point he said he brought up with Iraqi officials.

He also distinguished between setting goals for leaving the country and setting deadlines for withdrawal without a connection to security conditions.

"You set a date as an objective, and you work hard to achieve it," Mr. McHugh said.

The two countries are working on such an agreement. And while the Bush administration has shown a willingness to accept withdrawal deadlines for the first time, the Iraqis are pushing for withdrawal of support personnel as well as combat forces, which is farther than the administration has been willing to go.

Mr. McHugh credited the military "surge" policy of the administration for helping to dampen violence and said he has seen the strongest progress yet in the country. That could change, he said, but improvements in Iraqi forces' readiness should be a deterrent to any push by insurgents.

Iraqi officials are increasingly confident in the ability of their military, said Mr. McHugh, who called the U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces "clearly the best special operations forces in the Middle East."

"By and large, everyone agrees this is a very capable force," Mr. McHugh said.

With the handover of Anbar to the Iraqi security forces, a total of 14 of the country's 18 provinces will be under the control of Iraqi security, Mr. McHugh said. The Defense Department has said the withdrawal of some U.S. forces there will allow for an increased U.S. presence in Afghanistan, where the Taliban is reported to be regrouping.

Asked about a sore point in U.S.-Iraqi relations — that country's budget surplus that has become fodder in the U.S. presidential campaigns — the congressman cited "misinformation" about the surplus.

The surplus came from unexpected oil revenue after the price spiked, Mr. McHugh said, and the Iraqi government had not included those figures in its budget. "They have money they didn't expect," he said, adding that like any government, the Iraqis need time to work those numbers through their spending plan.

On the other hand, he said, lawmakers on this week's visit told Iraqi officials to expect to spend more of their own on military procurement and other needs.