ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT: Improving security in Iraq could allow the US military to speed up the pace of withdrawal of troops from the country, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Wednesday.
Gates told reporters after a two-day visit to Iraq that there was “at least some chance for a modest acceleration” of plans for the drawdown of American troops this year.
Citing his talks with the top US commander in Iraq, he said a stepped up withdrawal was possible “because of the way General (Ray) Odierno sees the way things going” amid declining violence and increasingly capable Iraqi security forces.
The current plan would have two combat brigade teams depart by the end of the year but Gates said “maybe one more” brigade could be withdrawn as well before elections in January. The precise number of additional troops that might be withdrawn remained unclear but a combat brigade comprises about 3,000 to 4,000 troops and is often accompanied by supporting units. There are 14 combat brigade teams now deployed in Iraq.
Speaking to reporters aboard his plane, Gates said no decision on the drawdown had been taken and that he would wait for advice from the US commander in the next few months.
“It really depends on circumstances,” he said.
Under a drawdown approved by President Barack Obama, all US combat troops are due to pull out of Iraq by the end of August 2010. And a security pact with Baghdad requires all American forces to leave by the end of 2011.
Only months ago US officers and analysts warned of a fragile situation in Iraq that could be jeopardized if American forces were pulled out too quickly.
Odierno and other top generals pressed Obama to allow for a larger US force in Iraq until pivotal elections in January.
The Obama administration has been anxious to free up troops and resources for a military buildup in Afghanistan. Gates said the fact that Odierno was considering a faster drawdown showed that security trends were promising in Iraq after US forces pulled out of cities and towns at the end of last month. He said “it is an indicator of his view that things are going pretty well following June 30th.”
