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U.S. May Bring Troops Home if Violence Low

Mar-30-2005 » Filed Under: Iraq News

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By JOHN J. LUMPKIN Associated Press

Large Number of U.S. Troops in Iraq Could Return Home if Violence Low Through Elections

WASHINGTON Mar 30, 2005 — U.S. forces in Iraq could begin coming home in significant numbers if insurgent violence is low through the general elections scheduled for the end of the year, a top general said Wednesday.

A larger and more capable insurgency, setbacks in the efforts to develop Iraq security forces, or missed deadlines by the transitional government could delay any significant drawdown, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Lance Smith.

Smith, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, which has military authority over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, commented in an interview with reporters at the Pentagon.

"(If) the elections go O.K., violence stays down, then we ought to be able to make some recommendations … for us to be able to bring our forces home," Smith said. [...]

Smith credited the security improvements primarily to the U.S. and Iraqi efforts in capturing and killing insurgents. But he also acknowledged that the Iraqi government has reached out to some Sunni Muslim groups that have been involved with the insurgency or worked against U.S. interests.


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