Americas

Home page

Americas

U.S. says troops on target to leave Iraq this year

07 July 2011 04:53 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The U.S. Defense Department on Wednesday said the country intends to abide by its commitments to complete the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq by the end of the year, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Pentagon spokesman Dave Lapan said unless the Iraqi government makes a request for U.S. troops to stay, there are no plans for a U.S. military presence there after this year, other than department personnel assigned to the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq.

"The process for troops to remain in the country after that date (Dec. 31, 2011) begins with an official request from the Iraqi government, and no such request has been made," he said. " Until the government of Iraq makes a request, there is no number."

Lapan said if the Iraqi government makes the request, then officials of both countries will negotiate the number and status of the troops. Put another way, "the administration has made it clear that if the Iraqis make a request for us to maintain some presence, then we will consider that request," Lapan said.

There are some 46,000 U.S. service members in Iraq today. U.S. officials have said the United States would be willing to station some troops in Iraq, if Iraq asks. News reports from Baghdad indicate the White House is offering to keep up to 10,000 troops in Iraq next year.

White House Spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday the United States ’ "plan is to fulfill... the Status of Forces Agreement, with the Iraqi government, which requires us to withdraw all U.S. forces by the end of this year."

"We have also said that we would consider a request by the Iraqi government for some sort of sustained presence by U.S. troops. That request has not been made," he added.