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Monday, March 15, 2010    

U.S. to accelerate Iraq pullout, credits Iraqis for election security

WASHINGTON — The United States, declaring the election a security achievement, has been preparing to accelerate its withdrawal from Iraq.   

Officials said the U.S. military and Defense Department have agreed to launch efforts for a rapid pullout from Iraq, Middle East Newsline reported. They said the performance of Iraq's military and police during parliamentary elections on March 7 meant the United States could proceed with plans to reduce its troop presence to 50,000 by September 2010.

"While there were a few incidents which produced casualties, and a number of noise-bottle bombs, the Iraqi security forces secured the population and provided a secure, credible election process," U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Terry Wolff, commander of U.S. Division-Center, said. "I'd emphasize that Sunday's Election Day success didn't just happen. The [ISF] owns security responsibilities in Iraq."


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In a news conference on March 10, Wolff said the results of the Iraqi election would not be linked to a U.S. rapid troop withdrawal. He said he did not envision a scenario in which political instability in Iraq would hamper the pullout schedule set by President Barack Obama in 2009.

"At this point, no," Wolff said. "I'm pretty confident that they can continue to secure the government of Iraq and the Iraqi people. There's no doubt in my mind that they can do that exceptionally well. And as the next government settles in, they're more than up to the task, and they demonstrated that."

Officials said most of the Pentagon and Joint Chiefs of Staff support the launch of a rapid pullout from Iraq in an effort to enhance the NATO-led stability operation in Afghanistan. They said the remaining American troops in Iraq would be responsible for stability operations, which would include training and support for the Iraqi military.

"We have worked very hard with the government of Iraq during this caretaker government to try to ensure that security will remain," U.S. military commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, said. "And I believe we will be able to do that through this critical period."

Officials have acknowledged election violence, which included numerous Al Qaida attacks near polling stations. But they said Al Qaida failed in suicide operations, which had resulted in the largest number of casualties.

"Although there was some violence, most of it was low-level violence," Odierno said. "We had no suicide bombs, no suicide vests. Unfortunately, there were some buildings that were destroyed that killed some Iraqis. But for the most part, security was very good."

In a U.S. television interview, Odierno said all U.S. forces would be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of 2011. The general said the only thing that could derail the U.S. plan was what he termed a catastrophe. He did not elaborate.

The Pentagon said 98,000 troops were deployed during the Iraqi elections. Officials said many of these troops have already completed the transition from security to stability operations ahead of the September 2010 deadline, when all combat troops were meant to leave Iraq.

Officials said the transition has been facilitated by the expansion and enhancement of Iraq's military and security forces. The army has more than 220,000 soldiers and the police more than 400,000, with many units trained and mentored by U.S. advisers.

"There are aggressive operations every day and every evening to deal with terrorists and extremists that try to have an impact on the Iraqi people," Wolff said. "So it's not as if we're all sitting on our operating bases and doing nothing. There's this belief at times that no one's doing anything; that 96,000 soldiers are just kind of waiting for something to happen."



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