US Military Will Leave Iraqi Cities Within Fortnight, Says Top General
Withdrawal of US forces flagged by top general as 'a significant moment in history'
The US military has committed itself to leave Iraqi cities in a fortnight, in a move flagged by its top general and the country his troops still occupy as "a significant moment in history".
The 30 June withdrawal will be the clearest change in posture by US forces since they conquered Baghdad more than six years ago.
At a press conference in Baghdad yesterday, the commander of American forces, General Ray Odierno, declared: "The dark days of previous years are behind us. It's a fitting time that our combat forces return from cities and villages."
The move includes the volatile city of Mosul, which had been seen as a possible exception because of a sharp spike in violence earlier this year. Odierno said he was now optimistic about Mosul and would hand over full responsibility to Iraqi security forces.
He said 142 US outposts scattered throughout the country had already been handed over to Iraqi forces. American troops will remain in 320 others, although their duties will mostly be limited to combat support and technical advice. About 30,000 US troops have left Iraq since September. Another 130,000 remain.
Odierno said US combat troops might still operate in Iraq, subject to a status of forces agreement with the Iraqi government. However, Iraq's defence minister, Abdul Qadir al-Obeidi, said such a move would only be authorized through a largely Iraqi chain of command.
The American presence has been diminishing since the start of the year. Iraqi police and army patrols now run all checkpoints and American patrols have been increasingly rare in Baghdad.
Odierno said the landscape was now sharply different from the blood-soaked years of 2006-07, when sectarian militias wreaked havoc. Foreign militants no longer streamed across Iraq's borders, he claimed. "We have seen a significant decrease in the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq in the last eight to 10 months. For the most part it has just been a trickle. We have seen some fighters coming through Syria, but Syria has been taking some action over the last few weeks, so hopefully that will continue.
"Al-Qaida has been degraded. And financially it has become more difficult for them to operate."
Violent acts are down sharply in every Iraqi province compared with 12 months ago. However, insurgents still retain the capacity to launch devastating attacks.
Military analysts suggest extremists are now focusing on destabilizing the Iraqi government through targeted assassinations and a steady stream of bombings. In the past six weeks, nine senior police officers have been killed. The prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, has forecast a spike in violence in the months leading up to a national election in January.
The 30 June withdrawal will be the clearest change in posture by US forces since they conquered Baghdad more than six years ago.
At a press conference in Baghdad yesterday, the commander of American forces, General Ray Odierno, declared: "The dark days of previous years are behind us. It's a fitting time that our combat forces return from cities and villages."
The move includes the volatile city of Mosul, which had been seen as a possible exception because of a sharp spike in violence earlier this year. Odierno said he was now optimistic about Mosul and would hand over full responsibility to Iraqi security forces.
He said 142 US outposts scattered throughout the country had already been handed over to Iraqi forces. American troops will remain in 320 others, although their duties will mostly be limited to combat support and technical advice. About 30,000 US troops have left Iraq since September. Another 130,000 remain.
Odierno said US combat troops might still operate in Iraq, subject to a status of forces agreement with the Iraqi government. However, Iraq's defence minister, Abdul Qadir al-Obeidi, said such a move would only be authorized through a largely Iraqi chain of command.
The American presence has been diminishing since the start of the year. Iraqi police and army patrols now run all checkpoints and American patrols have been increasingly rare in Baghdad.
Odierno said the landscape was now sharply different from the blood-soaked years of 2006-07, when sectarian militias wreaked havoc. Foreign militants no longer streamed across Iraq's borders, he claimed. "We have seen a significant decrease in the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq in the last eight to 10 months. For the most part it has just been a trickle. We have seen some fighters coming through Syria, but Syria has been taking some action over the last few weeks, so hopefully that will continue.
"Al-Qaida has been degraded. And financially it has become more difficult for them to operate."
Violent acts are down sharply in every Iraqi province compared with 12 months ago. However, insurgents still retain the capacity to launch devastating attacks.
Military analysts suggest extremists are now focusing on destabilizing the Iraqi government through targeted assassinations and a steady stream of bombings. In the past six weeks, nine senior police officers have been killed. The prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, has forecast a spike in violence in the months leading up to a national election in January.
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