Home>News Center>World
         
 

US to launch phased Iraq pullout
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-30 08:40

The U.S. will carry out planned withdrawals of American troops in Iraq only from regions where Iraqi forces can maintain security against the insurgents, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff said Thursday.

Gen. Peter Pace said the current force of 160,000 would drop to below 138,000 by March, then U.S. commanders on the ground would work with the Iraqi government to determine the pace of future pullbacks in areas that have been secured by local security forces.

"The bottom line will be that the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police will gain in competence, that they will be able to take on more and more of the territory, whether or not there are still insurgents in that area," he said in an interview with a small group of reporters, including The Associated Press, aboard a military plane en route to the United Arab Emirates.

Amid congressional pressure and growing public opposition to the war, the Bush administration last week announced plans to reduce U.S. combat troops in Iraq to below the 138,000 level that prevailed most of this year.

The number of American forces in Iraq was raised to about 160,000 to provide extra security during the October referendum and December parliamentary elections, and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has said those extra troops would be leaving soon.

The exact size of the additional troops cuts has not been announced, but senior Pentagon officials have said the number of American troops in Iraq could drop to about 100,000 by next fall.

General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff addresses the media Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005, at the American base in Manama, Bahrain.
General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff addresses the media Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005, at the American base in Manama, Bahrain.[AP]
The decision where to cut troops "will be based on the Iraqi units in that area and the threat that exists in that area," Pace said earlier at a news conference in Bahrain.

The key, he stressed, "is the Iraqis' ability to control that area."

Pace has said American units will steadily hand off more security duties in the coming months to Iraqi forces and stressed the U.S. military needs to be flexible, but his comments offered a detailed glimpse of the administration's plans.

Pace's tour of the region came two weeks after Dec. 15 Iraqi parliament elections, which the United States considered a key step toward stability that could allow a drawdown of troops.

But violence has not stopped in Iraq. On Thursday, gunmen killed 12 members of an extended Shiite Family south off Baghdad and a suicide bomber killed a policeman in the capital.

Complaints by Sunni Arab and secular Shiite groups of widespread fraud and intimidation during the vote also have threatened to spark a serious crisis that could set back hopes for a broad-based government that could have the legitimacy necessary to diminish the insurgency 錕斤拷 a key part of any U.S. military exit strategy from Iraq.

Pace said efforts were under way to recruit Sunnis into the Iraqi security forces, "especially on the officers' side."

Pace, who was making his first official visit to the region since becoming the first Marine to be named chairman of the joint chiefs of staff three months ago, said the withdrawals of two brigades in the coming months would provide a test for the decision to pull out troops.

"We are going to have to watch how these drawdowns go to see if we have judged it properly," he said.

Pace, who was traveling with his wife, Lynne, and a group of entertainers to offer holiday cheer to U.S. troops in the region, began his weeklong trip Wednesday in Qatar. He also planned stops in Iraq, Afghanistan and the East African nation of Djibouti.



Europe launches its rival to GPS
Philippine President Arroyo on hols
Brazilian govt's social security archives building alight
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Minister: Information flow will be made easier

 

   
 

Military diplomacy helps development: article

 

   
 

China confirms 7th human bird flu case

 

   
 

Rural areas 'must be strengthened'

 

   
 

Wang remembered for enhancing ties

 

   
 

Chinese man on the Moon far off

 

   
  Ukraine, Russia resume gas talks as deadline looms
   
  Iran remains committed to India pipeline - official
   
  Indonesia prepares to pull last troops out of Aceh
   
  Japan PM says wants friendly ties with China
   
  Ex-Enron accountant pleads guilty to fraud
   
  Palestinians' Fatah Party overcomes split
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Suicide bomber kills four police in Baghdad
   
UN official says Iraqi elections credible; Chalabi defeated at polls
   
Eight killed in escape bid at Iraq prison
  News Talk  
  Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产性天天综合网| 女人扒开腿让男人捅| 亚洲欧美日韩久久精品第一区 | 91热久久免费精品99| 精品69久久久久久99| 国产男女无遮挡猛进猛出| ts人妖在线观看| 日本在线不卡视频| 亚洲国产成人久久77| 疯狂做受xxxx高潮欧美日本| 国产人成视频在线观看| 最新黄色网址在线观看| 奇米影视第四色在线| 久久久久久亚洲精品中文字幕| 精品亚洲成a人无码成a在线观看| 国产成人麻豆亚洲综合无码精品| 99爱免费视频| 成人年无码AV片在线观看| 久久精品天天中文字幕人妻| 欧美最猛黑人xxxx黑人猛交| 免费黄色一级毛片| 视频一区在线观看| 国产猛烈高潮尖叫视频免费 | yy6080新视觉午夜伦被窝| 日本乱人伦aⅴ精品| 亚洲av无码专区国产乱码不卡| 污污的小说片段| 动漫成人在线观看| 色视频综合无码一区二区三区 | 波多野结衣欲乱| 午夜私人影院免费体验区| 青草娱乐极品免费视频| 婷婷五月综合激情| 久久久精品久久久久久96| 欧美.成人.综合在线| 亚洲深深色噜噜狠狠爱网站| 窝窝午夜看片成人精品| 四虎影院成人在线观看俺也去色官网| 黄床大片免费30分钟国产精品| 好男人好资源在线影视官网| 久久久久女教师免费一区|