WASHINGTON — The United States plans to maintain its current
military presence in Iraq throughout much of 2007.
Officials said the U.S. military has urged the Bush administration to
maintain the augmented troop presence in Iraq for at least the next six
months. They said the current troop level was required to fight the Sunni
and Shi'ite insurgency as well as secure Baghdad, Middle East Newsline reported.
"I think that this level probably will have to be sustained through the
spring, and then we'll re-evaluate," U.S. Central Command chief Gen. John
Abizaid said on Tuesday.
Abizaid told a briefing of military reporters that the Iraqi military
and security forces have reached 300,000. But he said Iraq's military and
police would require time to mature, particularly for the U.S.-led effort to
stabilize Baghdad.
"I do believe that the secular tensions, if left unchecked, could be
fatal to Iraq," Abizaid said. "And the center of the problem is Baghdad.
It's the main effort."
[On Wednesday, Iraqi police reported finding the bodies of 34 people in
Baghdad. Police said all of the people had been tortured before they were
shot to death.]
Officials said the U.S. military presence in Iraq has risen to 147,000,
the highest level since December 2005. They said the military increased the
troop level in Iraq by more than 20,000 since June 2006 amid the collapse of
security in Baghdad.
"I think these are prudent force levels, but I think they are achieving
their military effect," Abizaid said. "We'll bring in more forces if we have
to. By the way, if we can send more forces out, we'll do that as well."
Abizaid, expected to brief members of Congress later this week,
acknowledged that Central Command had planned to significantly reduce the
military presence in Iraq. Officials said the military had intended to
maintain no more than 100,000 troops in Iraq by September 2006.
"We clearly did not achieve the force levels that we had hoped to,"
Abizaid said. "If you had asked me six months ago, I would have said that we
would be down a couple of brigades from what we currently have."
At the same time, the U.S. partners in the military coalition have been
reducing their troops. Officials said the 26 partners of the United States
have contributed a total of 15,000 soldiers in Baghdad. Most of them have
come from Britain.
"The coalition's military posture on the ground will remain responsive
and flexible," U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, Maj. Gen. William Caldwell,
said. "As the security situation evolves, coalition forces will maintain
sufficient forces to assist the government of Iraq as they so request."
Officials said the United States has pledged to sustain current troop
levels in Iraq. They said they expect the number of U.S. troops to drop when
the Iraq Army ensures security over insurgency-ridden provinces.
"Every day we see the Iraqi security forces taking the lead to defeat
the insurgency, to quell ethno-sectarian violence, and to ensure a safe and
stable and secure life for the Iraqi people," Caldwell told a Sept. 18 news
conference. "They have made tremendous strides in the equipment, the combat
readiness, the leadership and confidence within the Iraqi security forces."
Iraqi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Kassem Musawi said despite rising
sectarian violence the military has been recruiting volunteers from around
the country. Mousawi reported that 22,000 people volunteered in 2006.
Still, Iraqi officials acknowledged that the Sunni insurgency has set
back efforts for Iraqi military self-sufficiency. They said the country has
been experiencing what they termed "waves of terrorism."
"Wherever we make progress the terrorists increase their attacks," Ali
Dabbagh, spokesman for Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki said. "There are
terrorist groups in Iraq that try to prevent the political process."
