Odierno Accelerates U.S. Troop Withdrawal as Iraqis Take Charge

Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Army General Ray Odierno, the U.S. commander in Iraq, said he will be able to reduce the number of American troops in the country to 120,000 by the end of October, faster than he originally planned.

The U.S. force of 124,000 on the ground now is already down from 143,500 in January, Odierno told the House Armed Services Committee at a hearing in Washington today. The psychological effect of the June 30 handover of security control in cities to the Iraqi government has been “profound,” he said.

“The Iraqis wanted to be in charge, they wanted the responsibilities, and they have demonstrated that they are capable,” Odierno said.

Odierno is charged with organizing an orderly withdrawal of all combat troops by August, as required under an agreement the two countries signed earlier this year. At the same time, the U.S. wants to continue supporting the Iraqi security forces as tensions mount between Arabs and Kurds and the country prepares for elections in January.

“We do not want to lose the security progress that has been made,” Odierno said.

The reduction in force was made possible by a significant decrease in violence, even considering a spurt of attacks after the June 30 handover. As an example, two brigades in Anbar province, a former insurgent stronghold, have been replaced with one, he said.

Security Response

The Iraqi government and its security forces also responded “promptly and effectively” after two bombings in Baghdad on Aug. 19 that targeted the ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs, Odierno told the panel.

Odierno didn’t specify how many troops he plans to have by the end of the year.

U.S. officials want the January elections to help further reconciliation among Iraq’s Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. Odierno said in July that tensions between the Kurdish Regional Government in the north and the Shiite-led central government in Baghdad worry him most.

“I still believe Arab-Kurd tension is the No. 1 driver of instability inside Iraq,” Odierno told the committee today. While the U.S. is nudging the two sides along, “this is something that they have to resolve,” he said.

Odierno has said he is concerned at the prospect of disputes between the centrally controlled Iraqi Army, which also includes Kurdish troops, and separate peshmerga units controlled by the semi-autonomous Kurdish government.

Joint Patrols

He is trying to persuade the two sides to organize joint patrols with the U.S. forces to reduce tensions in disputed areas along the internal boundary such as the city of Kirkuk, the hub of northern oilfields.

Iran still poses a concern, Odierno said. Militants are still being trained in Iran and entering Iraq, and forces still find caches of rockets and explosive projectiles that can be traced back to Iran, he said.

“Unfortunately, we still see some malign intent from Iran,” Odierno said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Viola Gienger in Washington at vgienger@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jim Kirk at jkirk12@bloomberg.net