3/10/2010
Iraq Election Assists Drawdown Timetable
WASHINGTON, March 10, 2010 – As parliamentary election results are tallied in Iraq, a U.S. commander there said it’s unlikely any outcome would require American troops to stay beyond their scheduled withdrawal.
Polling this week has been characterized by military officials as a “historic” moment for Iraq that, barring a catastrophic event, paves the way for the drawdown of U.S. forces from 98,000 to 50,000 before September.
Asked in a news conference today if a potential balloting result exists that could change the pace of U.S. withdrawal, Army Maj. Gen. Terry A. Wolff, commander of U.S. Division Central told Pentagon reporters, “At this point, no.”
An estimated 12 million Iraqis, about 62 percent of the electorate, cast votes in the March 7 election that will appoint parliamentary seats and possibly a new prime minister, pending results due out today.
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3/9/2010
Karzai, Gates Discuss Marja, Way Forward in Afghanistan
3/5/2010
Pre-election Calm Validates ‘Advise, Assist’ Mission
3/4/2010
Mullen Urges More ‘Soft Power’ in Afghanistan
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U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates meets with Massoud Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government, at the government’s version of the White House during a brief visit to Erbil, Iraq, July 29, 2009. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison
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