Gen. Raymond Odierno, Commanding General of U.S. Forces in Iraq, told reporters at the Pentagon Wednesday that Iraq is on the brink of acquiring the capabilities to secure and govern itself.
Gen. Odierno said he was back in the U.S for a few days to attend a joint conference hosted by the Departments of Defense and State aimed at outlining the challenges Iraq and the U.S will face in “setting the stage for the transition from a military led to a civilian led operation in Iraq.”
Odierno said he is pleased with the progress Iraqi security forces have made in the past 4 years but admits that there are still lingering threats that must not be discounted. Terrorist attacks in the country are at an all time low and Odierno is confident the Iraqi Police and security forces are taking steps towards securing their own country.
“[They] continue to grow and improve everyday, they’ve demonstrated they’re apolitical and loyal to the constitution during this period of transition.”
Along with the continued progress of Iraqi security forces, Odierno said the general ambience in Iraq has also taken giant strides. He mentioned that people are out and about, being social and enjoying life.
“There’s a certain sense of normalcy,” Odierno said.
In the coming weeks, Odierno said that the U.S. continues to be “on track to only have 50,000 boots on the floor by the start of Operation New Dawn beginning September 1,” officially marking the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom and future combat operations in Iraq. The general emphasized that this transitional period will not affect America’s pledge to Iraq.
“Operation New Dawn does not change the level of US commit in Iraq,” Odierno said. “It changes the nature of our commitment, one that is military dominated to a civilian led commitment.”