A Blast from the Past

posted by The Sailor @ 5:51 PM Permalink

U.S. Seen Giving Control to Iraq in 2007

U.S. Official Says Military Expects Iraq to Be Under Control of Its Own Forces by Mid-2007

BAGHDAD, Iraq Dec 5, 2006 - The U.S. military expects all of Iraq to be under the control of Iraqi forces by mid-2007, the top American military spokesman in the country said Tuesday.

"We would expect to see the entire country having reached provincial Iraqi control by early fall of next year," Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said at a news conference. "We should see the complete transfer of command and control of all Iraqi army divisions by late spring, early summer."

He said this is part of an accelerated timetable discussed by President Bush and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during their summit in Jordan last week.

Al-Maliki, in an interview with ABC the day of the summit, said Iraqi forces would be ready.

"I can tell you that by next June, our forces will take over the security of the country," he said.

(Cross posted at SteveAudio)

Labels: Iraq war