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Iraq 'surge' downsizes as 2,000 US soldiers return home
Baghdad (AFP) March 6, 2008 Some 2,000 US soldiers whose unit was part of last year's surge to bring stability to Iraq are leaving the country and not being replaced, the US military said Thursday. The soldiers, a brigade of paratroopers from the storied 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, were deployed in Iraq in early January 2007. "During this time, the 2nd Brigade was part of the initial surge of five additional brigades into Iraq," a statement said. Washington deployed around 30,000 extra troops to rein in sectarian bloodshed that had left tens of thousands of people killed. Once the brigade re-deploys, "the number of US combat brigades in Iraq will drop from 19 to 18, with three additional brigades scheduled to redeploy by July. The unit will not be replaced," the statement read. The redeployment "represents the increased capability and progress being made in Iraq by the Iraqi security forces to provide their own security," said said Colonel Billy Buckner, a spokesman for US-led forces in Iraq. The US military currently has 158,000 troops deployed in the country. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century
Top US military officer opposes timetable for Iraq withdrawal
Washington (AFP) March 5, 2008The top US military officer said Wednesday he opposed a timetable for withdrawing US troops from Iraq but would carry out whatever decision a future president may make. |
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