Maj. Gen.: Anbar province safe for transfer

Lt. Todd Richardson, of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, gets some clarification on neighborhood borders in Subayht, Iraq, in October. Anbar province was the second focus of the last year’s “surge.” Cities like Ramadi and Hit were brought under of control since it began.


Maj. Gen.: Anbar province safe for transfer
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, January 12, 2008

The outgoing commander of U.S. Marine units in western Iraq says the province will be returned to Iraqi control in March, according to reports this week.

In an interview with The Associated Press published Thursday, Maj. Gen. Walter E. Gaskin said levels of violence had dropped significantly and that the Iraqi troops had grown in number and capability enough to have the transfer occur.

If so, the move would cap a remarkable turnaround in what had been the heart of the Sunni insurgency for many years of the war. But in the past year, Sunni tribes in Anbar have aligned themselves with American troops, turning against al-Qaida in Iraq attacks.

“We all agree that, based on the requirements, Anbar will be ready at that time ,” Gaskin said, according to the AP.

As in other areas of Iraq when nominal security control is handed back to the Iraqis, American troops will remain in the province. Gaskin said that two Marine battalions that were part of the “surge” of additional troops to the area would leave in May. Beyond that, he did not say if further cutbacks would happen.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51564