US to delay Iraq troops reductions
The planned reduction in the number of US troops in Iraq is to be put on hold, the US defence secretary, Robert Gates, indicated today.
Under a plan set out by General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, Washington had planned to withdraw five of the 20 brigades in the country by July.
More recently, however, Petraeus called for “period of evaluation” to assess the impact of such a move – a proposal that has now been backed by Gates.
“A brief period of consolidation and evaluation probably does make sense,” the defence secretary said, adding that the length of the evaluation was “one of the things we are still thinking about”.
His caution contrasted with remarks he made to troops in Baghdad yesterday.
“What a difference you made – al-Qaida routed, insurgents co-opted, levels of violence of all kinds dramatically reduced,” he told them.
“The situation in Iraq continues to remain fragile, but the Iraqi people now have an opportunity to forge a better, more secure, more prosperous future.”
Last year, the US president, George Bush, ordered five additional army brigades to Iraq as part of a “surge” in troop numbers.
One of those brigades left in December. The other four are due to withdraw by July, leaving 15 brigades – around 130,000 troops — the same number as pre surge levels.
Yesterday, Gates said Iraq’s political leaders faced hard choices about how to stabilise the country, but praised them for showing recent signs of progress towards reconciliation.
“They seem to have become energised over the last few weeks,” he added.
He said he would ask Iraqi politicians to assess the prospects for other measures including a law that would spell out power-sharing between the provinces and the national government.
Yesterday, insurgent attacks killed at least 50 people across northern Iraq.
Today, Reuters reported that two car bombs had exploded in southern Baghdad, killing at least two people and wounding five others.
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