Οι ΗΠΑ στην καθυστέρηση Ιράκ συγκεντρώνονται τις μειώσεις

Matthew Weaver και αντιπροσωπείες | guardian.co.uk

Η προγραμματισμένη μείωση του αριθμού αμερικανικών στρατευμάτων στο Ιράκ πρόκειται να τεθεί στη λαβή, ο γραμματέας αμερικανικής υπεράσπισης, Robert Gates, που υποδεικνύεται σήμερα.

Στο πλαίσιο ενός σχεδίου που καθορίστηκε από το στρατηγό Δαβίδ Petraeus, ο κορυφαίος αμερικανικός διοικητής στο Ιράκ, η Ουάσιγκτον είχε προγραμματίσει να αποσύρει πέντε από τις 20 ταξιαρχίες στη χώρα μέχρι τον Ιούλιο.

Πιό πρόσφατα, εντούτοις, Petraeus απαίτησε «την περίοδο αξιολόγησης» για να αξιολογήσει τον αντίκτυπο μιας τέτοιας κίνησης - μια πρόταση που έχει υποστηριχτεί τώρα από τις πύλες.

“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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