Top Iraqi officer warns of premature pull-out

Iraq’s top army officer warned yesterday that a pull-out of all US troops by the end of 2011 was premature as the White House insisted it was on track to end combat operations this month as planned.

Lieutenant General Babaker Zerbari said American forces may be needed in the conflict-wracked nation for a further decade, in comments that called into question Washington’s policy of a phased and “responsible drawdown”.

The general’s remarks, which could irk political leaders in Baghdad, came after eight of his soldiers were killed in a brazen attack that exposed shaky security less than three weeks before US troop numbers fall to 50,000.

“At this point, the withdrawal (of US forces) is going well, because they are still here,” Lieutenant General Zebari said on the sidelines of a defence ministry conference in Baghdad.

“But the problem will start after 2011 – the politicians must find other ways to fill the void after 2011.

“If I were asked about the withdrawal, I would say to politicians: The US army must stay until the Iraqi army is fully ready in 2020.”

There are now 64,000 American soldiers in Iraq, but this number is due to fall by 14,000 by the end of the month when the US is set to declare an end to combat operations and switch to a training and advisory mission.

All American troops must leave Iraq by the end of next year, according to the terms of a bilateral security pact, and President Barack Obama has insisted that the ongoing withdrawal is on schedule and will not be altered.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs reiterated Washington’s determination to stick to its plans, telling reporters the US was “on target by the end of the month to end our combat mission” in Iraq.

Also in Washington, Mr Obama convened his national security team to discuss Iraq, with about 20 senior civilian and military officials in attendance.

The threat to Iraqi security forces was shown yesterday in the central town of Saadiyah, where insurgents lured troops into a booby-trapped house, killing the eight soldiers in co-ordinated blasts that marked the start of Ramadan when violence tends to surge.