Biden determined to see US troops leave Iraq
The Obama administration has announced the United States will still be withdrawing troops from Iraq, as set in an earlier timetable.
While only one month still remains for the administration to complete its scheduled withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from the country, Vice President Joe Biden has said Iraq will be ready to stand alone.
Even though Iraqi politicians have been unable to form a coalition government, Mr Biden has stated the 50,000 U.S. troops to be left behind will help with the stabilisation process.
He told the ABC's This Week program: "There is no one in the military who thinks we cannot do that. I do not have a doubt in my mind that we will be able to meet the commitment of having only 50,000 troops there, and it will not in any way affect the physical stability of Iraq."
He also suggested that political squabbling by Iraqi factions would by preferable to full-blown sectarian civil war.
He said: "There will be a central government with control of its foreign policy, with control of the military. And look, this is their first crack at democracy. Politics has broken out in Iraq, not war."
Iraq's political parties have been asked by the Obama administration to be more commited in forming a coalition government and end a political stalemate that has continued since the inconclusive Iraqi elections in March.
Source: Europe News.Net
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