Stability concerns fail to slow US pullback from Iraqi cities

The US Army has transferred more than 130 bases to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) since October 2008 as part of the first exhaustive phase of the withdrawal plan envisioned under a security agreement that would have all US combat troops out of Iraq by 2010.

Speaking to reporters in Baghdad on 15 June, the top US commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, said he was "absolutely committed" to meeting the 30 June deadline for removing combat troops from urban areas.

Only a "very small number" of advisers and trainers would remain in the cities to work with the ISF, he said.

For the most part, US troops will withdraw to fixed US positions such as the Victory Base Complex in Baghdad from where they will conduct training and mentoring operations.

"Assessments and decisions on any US soldiers partnering in a supervisory and advisory role will take the readiness of our ISF partners into consideration, but any approval is made by the government of Iraq," Lieutenant Colonel Philip Smith, a spokesman for the Multi-National Division - Baghdad, told Jane's.

The withdrawal has been marked with formal and informal handovers such as the 1 June transfer of control over Joint Security Station Hurriyah I in Baghdad. Meanwhile, Iraqi Defence Minister Abd-al-Qadir Muhammad Jasim inaugurated a command-and-control centre on 8 June.