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| Iraq |
| Mullen touts ‘stunning’ progress in Iraq |
| 2010-07-28 |
| BAGHDAD — The US military’s top officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, on Tuesday said a planned drawdown of US troops in Iraq was on track, citing “stunning” progress in security over the past three years. Before arriving in Baghdad, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff told reporters on his plane that Iraq’s military and police had proven themselves over the past year. Based on briefings from US commanders, Mullen said the Iraqi forces “are ready” to take full responsibility for security in the country as American forces are scaled back to a 50,000-strong mission. He said the Iraqi troops are “performing in the lead exceptionally well.” “I’ve seen their response in various situations where violent attacks have occurred. And their response has really been good.” He recalled grim days during the peak of sectarian violence three years ago, “when there was great despair about where all this was going.” Mullen said the progress since 2007 represented “truly a stunning achievement.” He added at a press conference in Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone: “We are on track to reduce the number of American forces here in Iraq to 50,000 or less by the 1st of September.” “I see absolutely nothing to negatively impact that.” |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #4 See the next posted article. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2010-07-28 08:01 |
| #3 Stunning achievements would be: A place to visit and travel around without the risk of getting killed, women having significant rights, various factions are not trying to kill Americans or each other, brisk commerce, electricity around the clock, secure borders, an ally in the mideast. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2010-07-28 07:59 |
| #2 I was surprised to find it in Yahoo News but not in a MSM outlet. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2010-07-28 05:46 |
| #1 How's that |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-07-28 00:53 |