US Withdraw 4 000 Troops in Iraq

"Although security is improving, it is not yet enduring. There still remain underlying, unresolved sources of potential conflict," Odierno said. Photo by BGNES

The United States will withdraw another 4 000 troops in Iraq by the end of October 2009.

The US military commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, said this in prepared testimony for a congressional hearing Wednesday.

Gen. Odierno is expected to tell the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee that there has been a significant drop in violence in Iraq recently, CNN reported.

President Barack Obama has said the US combat mission in Iraq will end by August 31, 2010. Obama also said he plans to keep a range of 35 000 to 50 000 support troops on the ground in Iraq after combat troops are out.

"We have approximately 124 000 troops and 11 Combat Teams operating in Iraq today. By the end of October, I believe we will be down to 120,000 troops in Iraq. Overall attacks have decreased 85 percent over the past two years from 4,064 in August 2007 to 594 in August 2009, with 563 in September so far. In that same time period, US military deaths have decreased by 93 percent, Iraqi Security Force deaths have decreased 79 percent", Odierno said in the remarks.

However, he added that there were still security questions.

"Although security is improving, it is not yet enduring. There still remain underlying, unresolved sources of potential conflict," Odierno said.

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