Dispatch from Iraq: A 'herculean' withdrawal of troops

BAGHDAD

It's a transition that America's highest-ranking military official is calling "Herculean in scope."

By Sept. 1, all but 50,000 U.S. troops must leave Iraq, combat operations are supposed to stop, and the mission here will officially become a civilian-led effort to build the country's government and security forces.

The drawdown involves far-reaching changes: Just two months ago, almost 100,000 American troops were operating in Iraq; today there are roughly 65,000. The United States has closed or turned over nearly 500 bases and outposts. To shift from a military-led mission to one headed by civilians, the State Department plans to boost its personnel, open offices across Iraq, and field its own protection force.

Speaking to reporters here Tuesday, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, called the scale of the transition historic and Herculean.

And while he said he thinks Iraq is ready for it, he cautioned that many difficulties lie ahead.

"I've been coming here since 2004 and I've seen things at their worst," he said. "I'm stunned by what's been accomplished."

But he added, "There is much work to be done."

Perhaps most troubling is that nearly five months after Iraq held national elections, the top vote-getters have yet to form a new government, leaving room for fresh sectarian power struggles. Mullen and Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew, who also spoke to reporters here Tuesday, said the impasse won't change U.S. withdrawal plans.

"We don't see anything right now that will affect the transition," Mullen said. "But certainly sooner is better in terms of government formation."

Mullen and Lew made the brief visit to urge Iraqi leaders to end their gridlock and to assess developments ahead of the transition. They met with journalists inside a heavily barricaded part of the Green Zone, where the U.S. Embassy is located.

Serious questions remain over whether Iraq's national police and military will be ready to function on their own after the United States brings home the last of its troops in late 2011. While Mullen said he believes Iraq already has achieved the most difficult step in that process - establishing security forces that are non political and loyal to the country's constitution - Iraqi officials have expressed deep concern over the forces' abilities.

Indeed, their continued training is where the United States plans to focus the bulk of its work after the Sept. 1 transition. Hampton Roads-based units will be involved in those efforts.

Violence remains a problem. By all measures, the bloodshed is at its lowest level since the start of the war in 2003. But bomb attacks and assassination attempts are still carried out daily. On Monday, six Iraqis died in Baghdad in an explosion at the headquarters of one of the country's main television news stations, Al Arabiya. Two dozen more were killed when a pair of car bombs detonated near the southern holy city of Karbala.

"We should expect extremists to continue trying to sow fear and hatred during this time of government transition," Mullen said. "But I believe we can also expect the Iraqi people to reject that fear and spurn that hatred."

Corinne Reilly, (757) 446-2949, corinne.reilly@pilotonline.com