General Ray Odierno told reporters in Baghdad that although all American combat troops are due to pull out by August 2010, the plan was flexible and could change between now and May if the security situation deteriorates.

The threat of political violence linked to the election is a major concern for the government and US forces in the wake of bloody attacks in Baghdad on August 19 and October 25 that killed more than 250 people.

The attacks were aimed at the heart of government, including truck bombings outside the finance, foreign and justice ministries, and punctured confidence in Iraq's domestic security forces.

"We believe that there will be an attempt to conduct more attacks between now and the election," said Odierno.

"We have gotten some good information; we understand the leads we have and we have had some success in picking up individuals who were involved but we have by no means eliminated the threat," he said, referring to subsequent Iraqi-led investigations, in which the United States has provided assistance.

Security and counter-terrorism measures outside Baghdad, the restive northern city of Mosul and along Iraq's borders, seen as an entry point for terrorists, have also been stepped up "significantly" Odierno said.

The election, the second national poll since the 2003 US-led ouster of Saddam Hussein, is in doubt after Tareq al-Hashemi, the Sunni vice-president, vetoed the law governing the planned January 18 vote.

Christopher Hill, the US ambassador to Baghdad, has previously warned that any hold-up over the election timeline could conceivably alter Washington's plans to have all combat soldiers out by next August.

Odierno said the deadline, set by President Barack Obama earlier this year could be changed depending on the security situation.

He said he had up until April or May "if we have to defer from the August 31 date that the president has set."

"Right now I believe that we can meet that date but again if I had to (ask Washington for a delay) I would. Between now and the elections is a period we are very concerned about."

There are currently 115,000 American soldiers in Iraq. All US forces are due to exit the country by the end of 2011 under a security agreement signed between Baghdad and Washington last year.

US troops pulled out of Iraq's urban areas at the end of June in a key step towards the drawdown.

However, tensions between Arabs and Kurds along a tract of disputed territory in northern and eastern Iraq could see the American military's role altered once more.

This past summer, Odierno suggested that a joint security force including US, Kurdish and Iraqi forces conduct patrols in the disputed zones if a political agreement can be reached.

The plan is actively being discussed among the military, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Kurdish President Massud Barzani and a deal could be struck soon, according to Odierno.

"We are working very hard to come up with the right solution," he said. "In the next few weeks we will be able to come to a resolution on that and will execute that sometime in the beginning of December."

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News