The Army expects to begin cutting troop levels in Iraq as soon as this year, a move that would reduce the level of U.S. forces there to below 138,000, an Army general said on Thursday.| Teddy Kennedy's a genius. Right before the Iraqi elections he said he would bring home 12,000 US troops, right away. Leaving, um (carry the four, round off to three decimal places)...138,000! |
But U.S. defense officials have said the number will likely begin falling below 138,000 as the Iraqi army and security forces are trained to take over security in the country. Cody's comments came as Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was accused in his country on Thursday of bowing to pressure from the United States after he apparently backtracked on an announcement that Italian troops would start withdrawing from Iraq in September. Berlusconi said on a television talk show this week that he wanted to begin reducing Italy's 3,000-strong contingent in September, but he later said he never set a fixed date for any pullout. Italy has the fourth-largest foreign contingent in Iraq after the U.S., British and South Korean forces and any eventual withdrawal before other main partners would leave a hole in Iraq's international security network. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Wednesday he would not set any timetable for withdrawal of British troops.