Iraq warns against early U.S. withdrawal
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Iraq's deputy prime minister on Friday defended his government's progress in establishing security and ending political infighting, and warned that an early U.S. troop pullout would be disastrous for his country.
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Iraq's military is drawing up plans to cope with any quick U.S. military pullout as a senior American official warned that the Bush administration may reconsider its support if Iraqi leaders don't make major reforms by fall
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Iraq is a nation gripped by fear and struggling to meet security and political goals by September, U.S. officials said Thursday from Baghdad, dashing hopes in Congress that the country might turn a corner this summer. One general said not to expect a solid judgment on the U.S. troop buildup until November.
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The United States should start to  withdraw militarily and politically from Iraq and aim to pull  out all troops as early as possible next year, Sen. Edward  Kennedy said on Thursday.
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A U.S. withdrawal from Iraq would push the country into a civil war that would damage the whole world, the emir of neighboring Kuwait said in comments published on Thursday.
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Iraqi security forces will need years of mentoring and support from U.S. forces, a senior U.S. commander said on Friday, warning against an American withdrawal before local forces can operate independently.
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The United States does not have to  wait until Iraq "is peaceful and perfect" before it begins to  withdraw military troops from that troubled country, Defense  Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Friday.
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A senior U.S. military commander warned on Friday against cutting the number of troops in Iraq, saying the Iraqi security force cannot fight on its own and a U.S. reduction would cede progress to the insurgents.
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Iraq's interim prime minister warned  the rebel-held city of Falluja on Wednesday it must hand over  foreign militants or face a major operation to root them out.
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The United States should begin to withdraw its forces from combat in Iraq and launch a diplomatic push, including Iran and Syria, to prevent "a slide toward chaos" in the country, a high-level panel recommended on Wednesday.
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The top US commander in Iraq warned Iran and others in comments published on Monday to think twice before trying to take advantage of the US military at a time when it is fighting in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday that the United States could start withdrawing troops from Iraq later this year -- "if circumstances on the ground permit."
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A U.S. commander in Iraq believes it would not be possible to withdraw troops from his region south and east of Baghdad by year's end. Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch said a pullout would be a "giant step backward."
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The number of U.S. troops in Iraq could fall to about 130,000 by next summer, the total before this year's build-up, but it is too early to say when it may go lower, the top U.S. general in Iraq said on Monday.
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The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, said on Monday that U.S. troop levels in the country would decline further after a drawdown next summer but it was too soon to say how quickly.
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Japanese Defense Agency Director General Yoshinori Ono said Sunday that late 2005 is a possible target date for Japanese troops to withdraw from Iraq.
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WASHINGTON: Marine intelligence officials have issued a report warning that any significant withdrawal of troops from the Iraqi city of Fallujah would strengthen the insurgency, The New York Times said on Thursday.