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20/10/2003
US rubbishes reports of Iraq troop withdrawals
The head of the US armed forces has rubbished reports that it is to withdraw troops from Iraq, saying that there will be a pragmatic approach to all deployments.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen Richard Myers, said that the decision on how many US troops will be needed in Iraq will be "event driven". Reports of a Whitehouse plan to cut US troop levels in Iraq to 50,000 by the middle of 2005 were "not true", he said.
The chairman said that US Central Command chief, Gen John Abizaid, was responsible for "planning and recommending troop levels" along with the Coalition Provisional Authority.
"We're going to be event driven," he said. "The events on the ground will define how many forces we have there at any given time."
One goal, the joint chiefs chairman said was to train and equip more Iraqi forces. More than 70,000 Iraqis now are involved with the police, the border guards, the infrastructure protection force, the new Iraqi army and the Civil Defence Force.
These forces are taking over much of the security work that needs to happen in a country of 23 million people, Gen Myers said.
The Coalition will now look to accelerate the training the Iraqis receive so more trained security forces can take over the mission faster, he added.
There are 23,000 international soldiers in two multinational divisions deployed in Iraq.
(gmcg)
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen Richard Myers, said that the decision on how many US troops will be needed in Iraq will be "event driven". Reports of a Whitehouse plan to cut US troop levels in Iraq to 50,000 by the middle of 2005 were "not true", he said.
The chairman said that US Central Command chief, Gen John Abizaid, was responsible for "planning and recommending troop levels" along with the Coalition Provisional Authority.
"We're going to be event driven," he said. "The events on the ground will define how many forces we have there at any given time."
One goal, the joint chiefs chairman said was to train and equip more Iraqi forces. More than 70,000 Iraqis now are involved with the police, the border guards, the infrastructure protection force, the new Iraqi army and the Civil Defence Force.
These forces are taking over much of the security work that needs to happen in a country of 23 million people, Gen Myers said.
The Coalition will now look to accelerate the training the Iraqis receive so more trained security forces can take over the mission faster, he added.
There are 23,000 international soldiers in two multinational divisions deployed in Iraq.
(gmcg)
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Troops Out As Iraqis Taking More Control
Policing the Iraqi city of Basra is to be handed over to the local security forces. Despite failing in its goal to establish proper security there, an MPs' report has said that, even though the city is dominated by militias and the police contains "murderous" and "corrupt" elements, the UK will hand over control of Basra to Iraqi forces shortly.
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