US may lower troop levels in Iraq next year -envoy (Zalmay Khalilzad) [View All]

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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N26349335.htm

US may lower troop levels in Iraq next year -envoy


WASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush's envoy to Iraq predicted on Wednesday that some U.S. troops may be pulled out of Iraq over the next year, a day after the grim news broke that 2,000 Americans had been killed in the war.

For months Bush has refused demands from some Democrats to set any sort of timetable for when troops might come home, saying it depended on political progress and the ability of Iraqi military forces to be sufficiently trained to fight the Iraqi insurgency.

But U.S. ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, speaking at a White House briefing, offered a glimmer of a possible timetable now that the approval of Iraq's constitution has set the stage for elections in December.

"I do believe it's possible that we could adjust our forces, downsizing them in the course of next year. That's possible given the positive political developments and continuing growth in the capabilities of the Iraqi forces," Khalilzad said.