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Decline in Iraqi Troops' Readiness Cited
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| Contributor | ArmyDem |
| Last Edited | ArmyDem Sep 30, 2005 12:16pm |
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| Category | News |
| Media | Newspaper - Washington Post |
| News Date | Friday, September 30, 2005 06:15:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Generals Tell Lawmakers They Cannot Predict When U.S. Forces Can Withdraw
By Josh White and Bradley Graham
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, September 30, 2005; Page A12
The number of Iraqi army battalions that can fight insurgents without U.S. and coalition help has dropped from three to one, top U.S. generals told Congress yesterday, adding that the security situation in Iraq is too uncertain to predict large-scale American troop withdrawals anytime soon.
Gen. George W. Casey Jr., who oversees U.S. forces in Iraq, said there are fewer Iraqi battalions at "Level 1" readiness than there were a few months ago. Although Casey said the number of troops and overall readiness of Iraqi security forces have steadily increased in recent months, and that there has not been a "step backwards," both Republican and Democratic senators expressed deep concern that the United States is not making enough progress against a resilient insurgency.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and his commanders yesterday publicly hedged their forecasts of U.S. involvement in Iraq, leaving it unclear when troops will be able to come home or how long it will take before Iraqi security forces can defend their homeland. The officials also gave somber forecasts of significant insurgent attacks in the coming weeks as Iraq faces important political milestones. |
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