U.S. Troop Withdrawal in Iraq Seen as a Turning Point

Iraqi security forces currently have their hands full with a recent spate of suicide bombings by insurgents and al Qaeda operatives. But Iraq and U.S. leadership on the ground there seem confident that the Iraqi security forces are up to the task of ensuring relative safety and security for the majority of Iraqis.

Clearly, suicide bombings are virtually impossible to stop, but Iraqi officials are pointing to considerable progress in Sunni Shiite relations that have helped to ease the violence and bloodshed. There are still deep rooted differences and issues dividing the groups, but the violence now seems to be limited to only the most extreme factions.

U.S. officials are estimating that al Qaeda's numbers in Iraq have fallen to only hundreds of combatants, down from thousands that were openly active during 2006 and 2007, when violence peaked.

Tuesday, June 30, will be celebrated by Iraq as National Sovereignty Day and will likely draw some attacks from insurgents who will want to mark the day with bloodshed. The June 30 withdrawal from urban areas is the first major step in the overall withdrawal strategy, which is scheduled to be completed in 2011.