Odierno: Fewer foreign fighters entering Iraq

Odierno: Fewer foreign fighters entering Iraq
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Dec 2, 2007 15:23:49 EST

BAGHDAD — The U.S. second-in-command in Iraq said Sunday there has been a 25 percent to 30 percent reduction in foreign fighters entering Iraq, and he credited Syria with taking steps to limit the flow.

The Americans and Iraqi officials have demanded that Syria do more to stop foreign fighters from crossing its borders to fight in Iraq, where they threaten U.S. forces as well as Iraqi civilians.

Damascus says it has taken all necessary measures but that it is impossible to fully control the sprawling desert along the porous 354-mile border. Syrian authorities say they have increased the number of outposts to one every 400 yards in some zones along the frontier.

“We have seen a reduction in the amount of foreign fighters entering Iraq,” Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno told CNN in an interview. “It’s probably been about a 25 to 30 percent reduction that we’ve seen.”

He gave Syria credit for taking steps to limit the flow.

“We think they can do a bit more but we’re pleased with the fact that they are taking some additional responsibility with their own internal security measures,” he said. “There’s still too many coming across and we would like to see them eliminated completely and we’ll continue to ask them to do that.”


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/12/ap_foreignfighters_071202/