Iraq eyes big drop in foreign forces by end-2008
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Foreign troop levels in Iraq could drop to less than 100,000 by the end of 2008 if Iraq's own forces were ready and security threats had diminished, Iraq's national security adviser said on Wednesday.
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Key figures about Iraq since the war began in March 2003
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Despite stepped-up training, the readiness of the Iraqi military to operate independently of U.S. forces has decreased since President Bush's new strategy was launched in January, according to the White House progress report released yesterday.
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Defence Secretary Robert Gates hints that the US could withdraw thousands of troops from Iraq during 2008.
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The bipartisan Iraq Study Group plans to recommend withdrawing nearly all U.S. combat units from Iraq by early 2008 while leaving behind troops to train, advise and support the Iraqis, setting the first goal for a major drawdown of U.S. forces, sources familiar with the proposal said yesterday.
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BERLIN In a surprise announcement, Poland said Monday that it would withdraw its troops from Iraq by the end of 2005, leaving the US-led multinational forces the task of finding replacements to fill a crucial security role in south-central Iraq.
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President Jalal Talabani said Wednesday that Iraqi forces will take over security in all provinces in the country by the end of the year. U.S. forces currently are responsible for security in 17 of Iraq's 18 provinces.
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Iran is funneling weapons and cash to   buy the loyalty of armed groups in Iraq, but its long- term   influence is bound to wane as Iraqis focus more on their own   interests, a senior U.S. military official said.
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Iraq's president forecast on Tuesday   that British troops could go home by the end of next year but,   on another day of killings, Britain's visiting foreign minister   cautioned against leaving a "security vacuum."
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Warsaw, Poland - Poland envisions a withdrawal of its troops from Iraq by the end of next year, Polish leaders said Monday. It was the first time the key US ally has indicated a timeframe for pulling its soldiers out of the war-torn nation.
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Defence Secretary Robert Gates hints that the US could withdraw thousands of extra troops from Iraq during 2008.
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"Currently there are some 445,000 individuals on the payrolls of Iraq's Interior and Defense ministries. Based on recent decisions by Prime Minister Maliki, the number of Iraq security forces will grow further by the end of this year, possibly by as much as 40,000."
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Poland, a key U.S. ally in Iraq, should withdraw its troops from the Mideast nation at the end of next year, Poland's defense minister said in an interview published Monday. It was the first time a Polish official has indicated when Warsaw might end its presence in Iraq.
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Britain expects to be able to withdraw "thousands" of its troops from Iraq by the end of 2007, Britain's Defense Minister Des Browne said on Monday.
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Poland will reduce its commitment of forces to the war in Iraq by 40 percent by the end of 2005, the Polish Defense Ministry in Warsaw says.
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WARSAW, Poland Poland&#39;s defense minister says his country should pull its troops out of Iraq at the end of 2005. It&#39;s the first official indication of when the country may leave Iraq.
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Poland says it will scale down its 2,500-strong troop contingent in Iraq from the start of 2005.