February 11, 2009 5:50 PM
- Text
U.S.: Iraqis Can Take Control In 1-2 Years
(CBS/AP)
U.S. officials said Tuesday that Iraqi leaders have agreed to develop a timeline by the end of the year for progress in stabilizing Iraq, and Iraqi forces should be able to take full control of security in the country in the next 12 to 18 months with "some level" of American support.
Even as October marked the deadliest month for U.S. forces in Iraq this year, the top U.S. commander in Iraq said he felt the United States should continue to focus on drawing down American forces in the country.
Gen. George Casey's rare joint-appearance with U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad was designed, many in Iraq believe, to reassure the American public, both ahead of midterm elections and amidst continuing violence in Iraq, reports CBS chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan.
On Tuesday, the military announced the deaths of four more U.S. troops, raising the month's toll to 91. At least 2,801 members of the U.S. military have died since the war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
Regardless, Casey said he would not hesitate to ask for more troops if he felt they were necessary.
He appeared with Khalilzad in the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, though a power failure briefly cut off the broadcast of the remarks.
"We are about 75 percent of the way through a three-step process in building those (Iraqi) forces," Casey said. "It is going to take another 12 to 18 months or so till I believe the Iraqi security forces are completely capable of taking over responsibility for their own security that's still coupled with some level of support from us."
Generals such as Casey genuinely believe that success in Iraq is still possible, reports CBS national security correspondent David Martin. But now they also believe that failure is possible, Martin adds — and with each passing day of increasing violence, failure looks a little more likely.
But even if the administration wanted to make a major change in Iraq policy, to do so before the Nov. 7 election would be "political suicide," reports CBS chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod.
In other developments:
A U.S. military spokesman said earlier Tuesday there had been no word on the fate of an American soldier reported missing the day before in Baghdad. Troops carrying photos of the missing soldier continued door-to-door searches while Army Kiowa reconnaissance helicopters circled overhead in the central Karradah district.
The U.S. military on Tuesday announced the deaths of four U.S. service members in fighting in Iraq. A Baghdad-based soldier died from wounds received when his patrol was struck by a roadside bomb in central Baghdad, the military said. Earlier, the military said a sailor and two Marines were killed during combat in the insurgent stronghold of Anbar province in fighting on Monday.
The latest deaths raised to 91 the number of U.S. forces killed in October, the highest toll for any month this year and on course to surpass the October 2005 total of 96. Before that the deadliest months were January 2005, at 107; November 2004 at 137 and April 2004, at 135.
National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the fledging new democratic government are trying to quell the rising sectarian violence and move the country toward and peace. "I think they've got to do more and they've got to do it faster," Hadley said in a radio interview at the White House. "And I think if you talked to Prime Minister (Nouri) al-Maliki, he would say to you the same thing."
With violence continuing in Iraq, the United States is battling on both the military and political fronts to tame growing chaos in regions where Sunni insurgent violence now is compounded by sectarian killing.
Khalilzad said the Iraqi government had agreed by the end of the year to develop a timeline for progress. At the same time, he declared, the United States needed to redouble its efforts to succeed in Iraq.
"Iraq leaders have agreed to a timeline for making the hard decisions needed to resolve these issues," Khalilzad said. :Iraqi leaders must step up to achieve key political and security milestones on which they've agreed."
Details of the milestones were not spelled out, but Khalizad mentioned several areas in which progress would be measured, including devising a system to share the country's oil wealth among all religious and ethnic groups.
Even as October marked the deadliest month for U.S. forces in Iraq this year, the top U.S. commander in Iraq said he felt the United States should continue to focus on drawing down American forces in the country.
Gen. George Casey's rare joint-appearance with U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad was designed, many in Iraq believe, to reassure the American public, both ahead of midterm elections and amidst continuing violence in Iraq, reports CBS chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan.
On Tuesday, the military announced the deaths of four more U.S. troops, raising the month's toll to 91. At least 2,801 members of the U.S. military have died since the war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
Regardless, Casey said he would not hesitate to ask for more troops if he felt they were necessary.
He appeared with Khalilzad in the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, though a power failure briefly cut off the broadcast of the remarks.
"We are about 75 percent of the way through a three-step process in building those (Iraqi) forces," Casey said. "It is going to take another 12 to 18 months or so till I believe the Iraqi security forces are completely capable of taking over responsibility for their own security that's still coupled with some level of support from us."
Generals such as Casey genuinely believe that success in Iraq is still possible, reports CBS national security correspondent David Martin. But now they also believe that failure is possible, Martin adds — and with each passing day of increasing violence, failure looks a little more likely.
But even if the administration wanted to make a major change in Iraq policy, to do so before the Nov. 7 election would be "political suicide," reports CBS chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod.
In other developments:
With violence continuing in Iraq, the United States is battling on both the military and political fronts to tame growing chaos in regions where Sunni insurgent violence now is compounded by sectarian killing.
Khalilzad said the Iraqi government had agreed by the end of the year to develop a timeline for progress. At the same time, he declared, the United States needed to redouble its efforts to succeed in Iraq.
"Iraq leaders have agreed to a timeline for making the hard decisions needed to resolve these issues," Khalilzad said. :Iraqi leaders must step up to achieve key political and security milestones on which they've agreed."
Details of the milestones were not spelled out, but Khalizad mentioned several areas in which progress would be measured, including devising a system to share the country's oil wealth among all religious and ethnic groups.
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