Odierno: We'll meet Iraq' August deadline

[impik]

34 of 42 Al Qaeda’s leaders in Iraq captured or killed in the last 3 months



...WASHINGTON — The top American commander in Iraq said yesterday that most of the senior leaders of Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Iraq — 34 out of 42 — have been captured or killed over the past three months.

After the 2003 invasion, Iraq became the central battleground for Al Qaeda, with the network growing in strength and helping undermine the Iraqi government supported by the United States.

At the Pentagon, Odierno said the United States had been “whittling away’’ at the remaining Al Qaeda force inside Iraq for a long time. Last winter, he said, the United States was able to make significant inroads into the group’s headquarters in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

On US troop levels, Odierno said he is confident that he can meet the deadline set by President Obama to go down to 50,000 forces by the end of August. There are now 88,000 troops there, the general said.

Odierno said he does not believe that security in Iraq will deteriorate during the period of US withdrawal. “What’s different today than a year ago is the Iraqis are in the lead. We are not,’’ he said


http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/06/05/us_makes_gains_on_qaeda_in_iraq_leadership/

[tekisui]

1. Good that this deadline is being held to.