Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said on Sunday that U.S. forces may have to remain in Iraqi cities past the June 31 deadline for withdrawal.
Odierno refused to commit to meeting the deadline, instead saying that the military would “continue to conduct assessments with the Iraqi government” regarding troop presence in the troubled cities of Mosul and Baqubah.
If he concludes troops should remain in the cities past the date agreed upon between the United States and Iraqi governments, Odierno said he would make that clear to Iraqis.
“We will tell [Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki] what we believe is the right thing to do, but ultimately it will be his decision,” Odierno said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Odierno emphasized that Iraqi security forces have “matured significantly” over the past year, and added that the overall structure of the timeline for withdrawal — including the 2011 deadline for withdrawing all troops — was sound.
The timeline agreed upon between Iraq and the U.S. includes a June 31 deadline for withdrawal of U.S. forces from major Iraqi cities. By August 2010, U.S. combat operations would end, and all soldiers would withdraw from the country by the end of 2011.
Odierno’s hesitancy in pulling troops out of Mosul and Baqubah stems from the remaining flashes of violence in the country.
“Overall violence remains at 2003 lows,” Odierno said, “however as you have seen over the last week or so there are still elements here that can conduct some very serious attacks.”
Five U.S. soldiers were killed in Mosul on Friday when a truck bomb detonated near a police compound.
Odierno said recent attacks, while tragic, were not part of a larger trend.
“This is not a significant increase in overall lack of security,” the general sad, adding that U.S. forces would “finish off this last group.”
Speaking after Odierno, Iraqi National Security Adviser Mowaffak Al-Rubaie said Iraqi security forces were quickly improving and would meet the timeline.
“We believe it is sustainable, and we … are much more suited now for this fight,” Al-Rubaie said.