Gen. Jeffery Buchanan leaves Baghdad for Camp Adder, in Southern Iraq, one of the last bases in operation before the final departure of all American troops in mid-December. ( Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times / December 7, 2011 )
Long-Term Success Of Iraq Security Forces Remains To Be Seen, Commander Says -- Stars And Stripes
WASHINGTON – A top U.S. commander in Iraq said the world will soon learn whether the country’s military and police forces are ready to preserve the security gains that nearly 4,500 U.S. troops gave their lives to secure, while tens of thousands more were wounded.
With the number of U.S. soldiers stationed in the country down to just 8,000 – less than 5 percent of peak troop levels – violence is at its lowest since 2003, said Army Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, deputy operations commander of U.S. Forces-Iraq.
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My Comment: His concerns are justified. Read it all.