BAGHDAD — Iraq is finalizing plans to assume security
responsibility for the south.
Officials said the Iraqi Army plans to begin security responsibilities
over the southern provinces during the next few days, Middle East Newsline reported. They said the Iraqi
move would lead to the eventual withdrawal of Australian, British and
Japanese forces.
"There is an agreement to take over the security responsibilities from
the British, Australian and Japanese forces in southern Iraq during this
month," Deputy Prime Minister Salam Zikam Ali Al Zubaie said.
On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki announced the transfer
of security responsibility for the province of Muthanna. Al Maliki said Iraq
would assume responsibility for Muthanna in July.
"We hope that the Iraqi security forces will live up to their duties
there," Al Zubaie
said. "It is the dream of all Iraqis that our forces will handle security
issues all over Iraq."
Over the weekend, nearly 100 people were killed in insurgency attacks
around Baghdad. The casualties stemmed from bombings and mortar attacks amid
Operation Together Forward, comprised of 75,000 Iraqi and U.S. troops.
"I can say that I am not pleased with the way the Baghdad security plan
began," Al Zubaie said in an interview with the Qatari-based A-Jazeera
television on June 16. "The Baghdad plan has begun, but it will need a year
or more to finish."
After the United States, Britain has the largest military contingency,
with 8,000 troops in Iraq. Australia has 1,320 and Japan has 600 soldiers.
Three of the four southern provinces are regarded as the most stable in
Iraq. The Basra province has been regarded as a stronghold of the
Iraqi insurgency.
Officials said the Iraq Army would assume full responsibility for all of
the southern provinces by December 2006. They said the British Army would
remain in most of the provinces in an advisory and support role.
In 2007, officials said, the Iraqi government would meet the U.S.-led
coalition to discuss a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops from
the country. They said the phased withdrawal could leave thousands of
foreign military advisers in Iraq.
The U.S. military has sought to train Iraqi forces to take over the
Baghdad area in 2007. Officials said the Iraq Army has deployed 31,000
troops in Baghdad, joined by 22,000 police.
"By the end of the year, it's my hope that we will have the majority of
the Iraqi army units that inside of the Baghdad area of operation," Maj.
Gen. James Thurman, head of U.S. forces in the Baghdad area, said.
