BAGHDAD - The Iraqi army can maintain security, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said April 21 in talks with America's top military officer, the latest official to visit Baghdad ahead of an upcoming U.S. pullout.
Maliki's remarks to Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, reiterated those he made to John Boehner, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who visited Iraq last weekend.
"Prime Minister Maliki said the armed forces and the Iraqi security forces were able to take responsibility, and that they worked with professionalism," a statement from the premier's office said.
He added that Iraq would "continue to strengthen their combat capabilities while providing them with the latest equipment and weapons."
The U.S. military declined to comment on Mullen's trip when contacted by AFP.
Sandwiched between Boehner's and Mullen's trips was a visit by U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey.
Fewer than 50,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed in Iraq, down from a peak of nearly 170,000 following the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003.
All of those troops must withdraw from the country by the end of the year, according to the terms of a bilateral security pact.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on a surprise trip to Iraq on April 8 that American forces were prepared to stay in any role beyond the scheduled pullout, but time was running out for Baghdad to ask.
"My basic message to them is [for us to] just be present in some areas where they still need help. We are open to that possibility," he said. "But they have to ask, and time is running out in Washington."
A senior American military official also said last week that Iraqi leaders should not expect U.S. forces to return to help in a crisis after they have pulled out.
Maliki's remarks to Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, reiterated those he made to John Boehner, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who visited Iraq last weekend.
"Prime Minister Maliki said the armed forces and the Iraqi security forces were able to take responsibility, and that they worked with professionalism," a statement from the premier's office said.
He added that Iraq would "continue to strengthen their combat capabilities while providing them with the latest equipment and weapons."
The U.S. military declined to comment on Mullen's trip when contacted by AFP.
Sandwiched between Boehner's and Mullen's trips was a visit by U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey.
Fewer than 50,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed in Iraq, down from a peak of nearly 170,000 following the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003.
All of those troops must withdraw from the country by the end of the year, according to the terms of a bilateral security pact.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on a surprise trip to Iraq on April 8 that American forces were prepared to stay in any role beyond the scheduled pullout, but time was running out for Baghdad to ask.
"My basic message to them is [for us to] just be present in some areas where they still need help. We are open to that possibility," he said. "But they have to ask, and time is running out in Washington."
A senior American military official also said last week that Iraqi leaders should not expect U.S. forces to return to help in a crisis after they have pulled out.
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