Officials said the U.S. military was withdrawing about 15,000 soldiers
per month from Iraq since mid-2010. They said the military expected to meet
its deadline to pull out all combat forces and reach a total presence of
50,000 personnel in September 2010.
"The withdrawal has been very smooth and it has not been targeted by
insurgency groups," an official said.
"Our assessment is that Iraqi security forces are capable of maintaining
a level of stability necessary for the country to move forward politically
and economically," U.S. military commander Gen. Ray Odierno said on July 13.
"And based on that assessment we are going to continue to go down to 50,000
troops by Sept. 1."
Under an agreement signed in 2008, the United States has pledged to
withdraw all forces from Iraq by late 2011. From September 2010, the
U.S. military presence in Iraq would be limited to trainers and support
staff.
Officials said U.S. troops and equipment have been leaving Iraq every
night by helicopter for Kuwait. From the Gulf Cooperation Council sheikdom,
the departing troops were being prepared for their return to either bases in
Europe or the United States, while much of the equipment has been
transported to Afghanistan.
Officials said the withdrawal would be linked to security rather than
political developments.
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